Staff Safety Act

HR 5285, the Staff Safety Act, amends federal law to clarify that congressional staff (including Members' employees and committee staff) are exempt from Capitol Grounds firearm regulations under the same constitutional protections as Members of Congress. The bill requires the Capitol Police Board to revise its regulations within 90 days to align with this exemption, removing current restrictions preventing staff from carrying firearms on Capitol grounds. This directly affects congressional staff who are currently barred from carrying firearms under existing Capitol Police regulations. The bill bases its changes on Supreme Court rulings (Heller and Bruen) that affirm the Second Amendment applies to public carry outside the home. It focuses on legal clarification, not new safety measures or policy changes for staff.