Cost Estimate for H.R. the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. JORDAN. Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the cost estimate prepared by the Congressional Budget Office for H.R. 3091, the Federal Law Enforcement Officer Service Weapon Purchase Act. The cost estimate was not available at the time of the Committee report filing. H.R. 3091, FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICER SERVICE WEAPON PURCHASE ACT, AS ORDERED REPORTED BY THE HOUSE COMMITTEE ON THE JUDICIARY ON MAY 10, 2023 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ By fiscal year, millions of dollars-- ----------------------------------- 2023 2023-2028 2023-2033 ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Direct Spending (Outlays)........... 0 a a Revenues............................ 0 0 0 Increase or Decrease (-) in the 0 a a Deficit............................ Spending Subject to Appropriation 0 * * * (Outlays).......................... ------------------------------------------------------------------------ a = decrease of more than $500,000 in direct spending and deficits; * =

between zero and $500,000; * * = not estimated.

Increases net direct spending in any of the four consecutive 10-year periods beginning in 2034? No.

Increases on-budget deficits in any of the four consecutive 10-year No periods beginning in 2034? No.

Statutory pay-as-you-go procedures apply? Yes.

Mandate Effects:

Contains intergovernmental mandate? No.

Contains private-sector mandate? No.

H.R. 3091 would permit federal law enforcement officers to purchase retired handguns at fair market value from the federal agency that issued the handgun to such officer.

CBO expects that implementing the bill would increase administrative costs both for the General Services Administration to develop regulations to implement the program and for law enforcement agencies that participate in the program. Based on the cost of similar programs, we estimate those costs would be less than $500,000 over the 2023-2028 period. Any spending would be subject to the availability of appropriated funds.

Collections from handgun sales authorized under H.R. 3091 would be classified in the budget as offsetting receipts, or reductions in direct spending, and deposited in the Treasury. CBO is unaware of any comprehensive information about how frequently federal law enforcement agencies replace their handguns or how many guns they expect would be sold rather than destroyed. However, using information about the number of federal law enforcement officers employed at federal agencies that would be potential purchasers, CBO estimates that on-budget receipts from sales of those guns would likely exceed $500,000 over the 2023-2033 period. For example, if law enforcement agencies replaced 10 percent of their handguns every year and 10 percent of those guns were sold to law enforcement officers, receipts would total more than $500,000 a year, CBO estimates.

Under H.R. 3091, the program would include the Postal Inspection Service, a law enforcement agency within the Postal Service. Cash flows for the Postal Service are recorded in the federal budget in the Postal Service Fund and are classified as off-budget direct spending. CBO estimates that any collections from handgun sales by the Postal Service would not be significant in any year or over the 2023-2033 period.

The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Matthew Pickford and Kelly Durand (for the General Services Administration) and Jeremy Crimm (for the Postal Service). The estimate was reviewed by H. Samuel Papenfuss, Deputy Director of Budget Analysis. Phillip L. Swagel, Director, Congressional Budget Office.

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