Pair of bills could allow concealed carry across state lines

Truckers who have concealed carry permits are well aware of the patchwork of state laws and lack of uniform reciprocity in accepting other states’ permits as equal. Bills in both the U.S. House and Senate seek to change that.

On Jan. 3, Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., introduced the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, HR38.

“Concealed carry reciprocity is already well-established across our country with the average state recognizing permits from more than 30 other states,” Hudson said in a news release. “National concealed carry reciprocity is common sense, and I’ll continue to lead the efforts to make it a reality.”

The bill, if passed into law would allow concealed carry in any state that allows it by permit holder. Essentially, the bill seeks to treat concealed carry permits much like driver’s licenses. Additionally, the bill specifies that a qualified individual who lawfully carries or possesses a concealed handgun in another state is not subject to the federal prohibition on possessing a firearm in a school zone, and may carry or possess the concealed handgun in federally owned lands that are open to the public.

HR38 currently has 129 cosponsors and has been referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, introduced S69, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. The bill introduced on Jan. 9 had 31 original co-sponsors with two more signing on since its introduction.

“This bill focuses on two of our country’s most fundamental constitutional protections– the Second Amendment’s right of citizens to keep and bear arms and the 10th Amendment’s right of states to make laws best-suited for their residents,” Cornyn said in a news release. “I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this important legislation for law-abiding gun owners nationwide.”

The bill, if passed into law, would allow people with concealed carry permits issued by the home state to conceal carry in any other state that also allows concealed carry.

The bill does not establish federal standards for a concealed carry permit and does not override a state’s rights to restrict guns from specific locations, like schools or churches for example. It also does not infringe on a state’s restrictions on types of firearms allowed to be concealed carry.

This is Cornyn’s third attempt to pass such legislation, with one in the last Congress and another five years ago.

The bill has been referred to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.