{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr3139-114/featured_securing-military-personnel-response-firearm-initiative-act-1454551000.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.causes.com/bill/photo/hr3139-114/featured_large_securing-military-personnel-response-firearm-initiative-act-1454551000.jpg","shareable":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr3139-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2015-07-21","title_override":"Would Allowing Members of the Armed Forces Working at Recruiting Centers to Carry Guns Protect Them From Attackers?","summary_override":"This bill would allow members of the military who are on duty at an Armed Forces recruitment center to carry a service-issue sidearm as a personal or force protection measure to defend against attackers. This would supersede all federal, state, or laws, and Dept. of Defense (DOD) policies that otherwise would’ve prohibited members of the Armed Forces from carrying firearms in those circumstances.

Not all members of the military would be able to carry firearms in those circumstances, as this legislation limits that ability to officers and noncommissioned officers.

As an alternative to allowing eligible members of the military to carry guns at recruiting centers, or in addition to that policy, the DOD may develop additional security measures for Armed Forces recruitment centers. This could include improved structural security measures.

This bill contains a provision limiting its interpretation, so that it cannot be construed as giving members of the Armed Forces the authority to act as civilian law enforcement personnel within U.S. borders — which would violate the Posse Comitatus Act.

","official_title":"To improve security at Armed Forces recruitment centers.","short_title":"Securing Military Personnel Response Firearm Initiative Act","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Securing Military Personnel Response Firearm Initiative Act or SEMPER FI Act\n\nThis bill directs the Secretary concerned to authorize an eligible member of the Armed Forces assigned to an Armed Forces recruitment center to carry a service-issue sidearm as a personal- or force-protection measure while on duty at the recruiting center, notwithstanding any federal, state, or local law or Department of Defense policy to the contrary.\n\nIn lieu of authorizing eligible members of the Armed Forces to carry a service-issue sidearm, or in addition, the Secretary concerned may implement additional security measures for Armed Forces recruitment centers, including improved structural security measures.\n\nThis Act shall not be interpreted to grant any member of the Armed Forces the authority to conduct civilian law enforcement functions within U.S. territory.","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Military personnel who are on duty at recruiting centers — particularly officers and NCOs who could carry firearms, and the DOD.","argument_for":"Preventing all members of the military from carrying guns at recruiting stations makes them a vulnerable target for those who wish to harm them. Letting officers and NCOs to carry weapons gives them tools to protect against attacks like Chattanooga.","argument_against":"This bill is an overreaction to relatively isolated incidents. There aren’t very many attacks on recruiting centers, and arming military personnel could have the unintended consequence of endangering more people caught in the crossfire.","bill_type":"hr","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"hr3139-114","bill_id":"hr3139-114","formal_id":"H.R. 3139","chamber":"house","congress":114,"last_action_at":"2015-07-21T00:00:00.000Z","active":false,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":null,"debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/3139","plain_text_url":"http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114hr3139ih/html/BILLS-114hr3139ih.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/bills/hr3139-114.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/house-bill/3139/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2015-07-21","related_bill_ids":["s1819-114"],"progress":"Introduced","house_passage_result":false,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":949,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Armed Services","chamber":"house","committee_id":"HSAS","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=hr3139-114","details":"/api/bills/hr3139-114/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/hr3139-114","positionsFor":"/api/bills/hr3139-114/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/hr3139-114/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":50,"slug":"hr3139-114-securing-military-personnel-response-firearm-initiative-act","latest_chamber_votes_id":null,"official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":9145,"yea_vote_count":7010,"nay_vote_count":2125,"passed_house":false,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["defense"],"issue_ids":["defense","military","federal-agencies"],"sponsor_id":375}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"defense","name":"Defense","slug":"defense","description":"Federal legislation related to Defense spending, the active duty military, intelligence activities, war powers and veterans’ care. 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Make your voice heard about the issues you care about. \r\n","page_title":"Military Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/military/black_military-1429042060.svg","grey":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/military/grey_military-1429042060.svg","white":"https://assets.causes.com/issue/icon/military/white_military-1429042060.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"federal-agencies","name":"Federal Agencies","slug":"federal-agencies","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Federal Agencies. 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Let's make our national policies coherent.","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"kaiserroth","issue_count":10,"is_following":null,"influence_score":30,"influence_level":10,"follower_count":1,"following_count":1,"position_count":32,"id":"jW24BLEm","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"1ff67c71-7909-4d75-91fd-691005962ada","argument_for":"Im not quite sure what the counter argument is to letting personnel carry weapons unless it is simple distrust that the weapons will be returned to the armory","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":0,"upvotes_for_count":0,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":0,"links":{"self":"https://www.causes.com/positions/1ff67c71-7909-4d75-91fd-691005962ada"},"body":"Im not quite sure what the counter argument is to letting personnel carry weapons unless it is simple distrust that the weapons will be returned to the armory","stance":"yea","created_at":"2016-03-11T17:45:16.495Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.causes.com/share-images/positions/1ff67c71-7909-4d75-91fd-691005962ada.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"hr3139-114","user_id":"jW24BLEm","endorser_ids":[]}}

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Would Allowing Members of the Armed Forces Working at Recruiting Centers to Carry Guns Protect Them From Attackers?