Congressman Pat Harrigan introduced the Special Operations Forces Concealed Carry Act on Apr. 16, aiming to grant federal concealed carry authority to both serving and veteran members of elite military units whose firearms training meets or exceeds that of retired law enforcement officers.
The legislation is intended to address what Harrigan described as a gap in current federal law regarding recognition of the skills and service of special operations personnel. Supporters say it would allow these veterans, who have undergone rigorous firearms training, the same nationwide concealed carry privileges currently afforded to retired police officers.
“Federal law already trusts retired police officers to carry concealed nationwide. That makes sense. But it makes no sense that an active or retired SEAL or Green Beret, someone who spent a career mastering firearms under the most demanding conditions in the world, has no equivalent recognition under federal law,” said Congressman Harrigan. “This bill fixes that. It does not create new rights or weaken any safeguard. It simply extends an existing, proven framework to the warriors who have earned it more than anyone.”
Sean Williamson, Executive Director at Atlas Rescue, also voiced support for the measure: “Atlas Rescue enthusiastically supports this legislation recognizing Special Operations veterans for their unique skills and service to our country. This recognition strengthens our ability to deploy highly trained operators in the fight against human trafficking, enabling us to more effectively bring that expertise to missions that protect the vulnerable and dismantle trafficking networks.”
The proposed act amends 18 U.S.C. Section 926C—the statute covering qualified retired law enforcement officers—to include eligible special operators such as Army Special Forces, Navy SEALs, Marine Corps Scout Snipers and others from paygrades E5-E9, W1-W5 or O1-O10 with verified honorable service in designated units. The bill provides permanent nationwide authority without annual requalification but maintains all existing federal firearm restrictions.
It also directs both the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs within 180 days of enactment to establish a photographic identification program for qualifying individuals and requires guidance from the Department of Justice so agencies recognize these credentials uniformly.
Harrigan is encouraging other lawmakers to support this measure honoring elite military personnel’s service. In 2024, he defeated Ralph R. Scott Jr., winning by a margin of nearly twenty percentage points according to Ballotpedia.