FIREARMS LEGISLATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81M00980R000700110026-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Sequence Number: 26
• Content Type: MEMORANDUM FOR

Approved For Release 2006/08/02 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R000700110026=5' 1 ^? ,
OLC 78-0545/3
l-,tIr;77
MUX)RAu 1 FOR: Director of Central Intelligence
FROM:
Acting Legislative CoufLgel
SUBJECT: Firearms Legislation
REFERENCE: Correspondence with Chairman Bayh,. Dated
26 May 1978 and 28 June 1978 (Tab A)
1. Action Requested: It-is requested that at the next appropriate
opportunity you raise with Chairmen Bayh and Boland our concern that
legislation to clarify and expand firearms authority for Agency employees
receive full and prompt consideration by the Congress.
2. Back ound: On 11 May 1978 the Administration forwarded to the
House and the Senate proposed legislation to clarify and expand the authority
for employees of the CIA to carry firearms. `this draft legislation was
forwarded to the two intelligence oversight committees; to date, neither
has taken any formal, action. On.26 May 1978 Chairman Bayh wrote a letter
to you requesting clarification of the proposed firearms legislation. This
letter and the reply from you to Chairman Bayh are included in Tab A.
In follow-up conversations between my staff and the staff of the Senate
Select Committee on Intelligence, it has become apparent the Committee is
not inclined to press for separate consideration of the legislation; rather,
the staff has indicated the SSCI will support us in making sure the charter
legislation contains the necessary authority in this area.
We have been monitoring legislation that-is now active and that is
likely to be acted on by the Congress he bore this Congress adjourns in
order to identify a possible "vehicle" for our firearms proposal. At
present there appears to be no readily available vehicle; we will con-
tinue to be alert to such a contingency. Although we could press for
introduction of a separate bill this ses-Pion, and thereby impress the
Congress and those Uzi e Agency who are concerned with the lack of clear
firearms authority,that we are doing everything possible to obtain enact-
ment of the legislation, I believe such a move could prove counterproductive.
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 Approved For Release 2006/08/02 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R000700110026-5
A separate bill combining expanded firearms authority and mention of the
CIA would, by that fact alone, draw a certain amount of negative attention.
Since there is virtually no chance that such a bill could be enacted this
session at any rate, there would be no real chance. to put the bill in
its full and appropriate context, and thereby negate such criticism; this'
could make enactment of the bill next year slightly more difficult. The
better course of action at this late'stage in the 95th Congress would be
to impress upon the leadership of our oversight committees the importance
we attach to legislative clarification of our firearms authority, and leave
introduction of the legislation for the start of the 96th Congress in
January 1979. We would, therefore, include in our proposed legislative
program to QMB our proposed firearms legislation for reintroduction early .
next year.
3. Recommendation: It is recommended that you raise this matter with
Chairmen Bay and Boland at the next target of opportunity to impress on
them the importance we attach to this legislation and indicating to them
we intend to seek favorable action on the legislation as soon as possible
next year (i.e., not necessarily only in the context of the charter
legislation).
STAT
Distribution:
Orig - Addressee
11 - DDCI
1 - ER
1 - OGC
1-DDA
1.- OS
1 - OLC Subject
1 - OLC Chrono
OLC:RLB:sm (24 Aug 78)
Approved For Release 2006/08/02 : CIA-RDP81 M00980R000700110026-5