Gun-Free School Zones Act

The Gun-Free School Zones Act (1990) is a piece of legislation passed by the US Congress. The act states: "[it is illegal] to possess a firearm at a place that...is a school zone..."

The Supreme Court held that the Act was an unconstitutional exercise of power under the Commerce Clause in United States v. Lopez (1995), a case that stepped back from decades of deference to Congressional power to regulate interstate commerce.