Just early this morning I added a Federal GFSZ Section to the USA page at
www.handgunlaw..us
http://www.handgunlaw.us/states/usa.pdf
Here is what I have put. Some of the formatting and links don't show up. There is a link to the law and to the BATF Letter. I can't put the answer to every question that someone could have but give you a good basis to start a more through investigation.
Title 18 > Part I > Chapter 44
§ 921. Definitions
(a) As used in this chapter—
(25) The term “school zone” means—
(A) in, or on the grounds of, a public, parochial or private school; or
(B) within a distance of 1,000 feet from the grounds of a public, parochial or private school.
(26) The term “school” means a school which provides elementary or secondary education, as determined under State law.
Title 18 > Part I > Chapter 44
§ 922. Unlawful acts
(a) It shall be unlawful—
(q) (1) The Congress finds and declares that—
(A) crime, particularly crime involving drugs and guns, is a pervasive, nationwide problem;
(B) crime at the local level is exacerbated by the interstate movement of drugs, guns, and criminal
gangs;
(C) firearms and ammunition move easily in interstate commerce and have been found in increasing numbers in and around schools, as documented in numerous hearings in both the Committee on the Judiciary [3] the House of Representatives and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate;
(D) in fact, even before the sale of a firearm, the gun, its component parts, ammunition, and the raw materials from which they are made have considerably moved in interstate commerce;
(E) while criminals freely move from State to State, ordinary citizens and foreign visitors may fear to travel to or through certain parts of the country due to concern about violent crime and gun violence, and parents may decline to send their children to school for the same reason;
(F) the occurrence of violent crime in school zones has resulted in a decline in the quality of education in our country;
(G) this decline in the quality of education has an adverse impact on interstate commerce and the foreign commerce of the United States;
(H) States, localities, and school systems find it almost impossible to handle gun-related crime by themselves—even States, localities, and school systems that have made strong efforts to prevent, detect, and punish gun-related crime find their efforts unavailing due in part to the failure or inability of other States or localities to take strong measures; and
(I) the Congress has the power, under the interstate commerce clause and other provisions of the
Constitution, to enact measures to ensure the integrity and safety of the Nation’s schools by enactment of this subsection.
(2) (A) It shall be unlawful for any individual knowingly to possess a firearm that has moved in or that
otherwise affects interstate or foreign commerce at a place that the individual knows, or has reasonable
cause to believe, is a school zone.
(B) Subparagraph (A) does not apply to the possession of a firearm—
(i) on private property not part of school grounds;
(ii) if the individual possessing the firearm is licensed to do so by the State in which the school zone is located or a political subdivision of the State, and the law of the State or political subdivision requires that, before an individual obtains such a license, the law enforcement authorities of the State or political subdivision verify that the individual is qualified under law to receive the license;
(iii) that is—
(I) not loaded; and
(II) in a locked container, or a locked firearms rack that is on a motor vehicle;
(iv) by an individual for use in a program approved by a school in the school zone;
(v) by an individual in accordance with a contract entered into between a school in the school zone and the individual or an employer of the individual;
(vi) by a law enforcement officer acting in his or her official capacity; or
(vii) that is unloaded and is possessed by an individual while traversing school premises for the purpose of gaining access to public or private lands open to hunting, if the entry on school premises is authorized by school authorities.
(3) (A) Except as provided in subparagraph (B), it shall be unlawful for any person, knowingly or with
Reckless disregard for the safety of another, to discharge or attempt to discharge a firearm that has moved
in or that otherwise affects interstate or foreign commerce at a place that the person knows is a school
zone.
(B) Subparagraph (A) does not apply to the discharge of a firearm—
(i) on private property not part of school grounds;
(ii) as part of a program approved by a school in the school zone, by an individual who is participating in the program;
(iii) by an individual in accordance with a contract entered into between a school in a school zone and the individual or an employer of the individual; or
(iv) by a law enforcement officer acting in his or her official capacity.
(4) Nothing in this subsection shall be construed as preempting or preventing a State or local government from
enacting a statute establishing gun free school zones as provided in this subsection.
BATF Letter on School Zones
Note: As you can see by the law and the BATF Letter if you come within 1000 foot of any school and you do not have a permit/license issued by the state that school is located in you are in violation of the law. The Law states Private Schools. From all that I can find out Home Schools would also qualify as a Private School. The law also states:
“knowingly possess or discharge a firearm in a place that the individual knows or has reasonable cause to believe is a school zone,”
That “Knowingly” would most likely protect you from the home school provision. But never forget you can be charged and given your day in court to prove you didn’t know or didn’t have reasonable cause to believe you were within a school zone. There is no way anyone can stay within the law if outside their state of residence unless they have a permit/license issued from the state they are in. Even if Home Schools were not included it would still be impossible unless you kept the firearm unloaded and secured in your vehicle at all times.
The only good thing I can say about this law is I have not read where anyone has been charged with just carrying a firearm within 1000 foot of a school. This law is being applied as an add on charge for people who are charged with another crime and are inside that 1000 foot school zone and have a firearm on them legally or not.
Do read the whole law. If you live within a school zone you can have a firearm on your property and can transport it in and out of the school zone if unloaded and stowed in a vehicle or case.
