New concealed carry act proposed

In an effort to streamline concealed carry rights and support the Second Amendment, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (R-NC) proposed the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 (H.R. 38) (the “Act”) this week. The Act would require states to honor concealed carry permits from other states that have concealed carry laws within their borders. The bipartisan legislation, which has 63 co-sponsors and is supported by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), would make these permits recognized and valid much like state driver’s licenses already are.

“Our Second Amendment right doesn’t disappear when we cross state lines, and this legislation guarantees that,” Hudson said in a press release. “The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 is a common sense solution to a problem too many Americans face. It will provide law-abiding citizens the right to conceal carry and travel freely between states without worrying about conflicting state codes or onerous civil suits.”

Should the bill pass, concealed carry would be permitted within the National Park System, National Wildlife Refuge System, and land managed by the Bureau of Land Management, Army Corps of Engineers and Bureau of Reclamation. The Act also includes language to provide extra protection for concealed carry permit holders in both civil and criminal cases in an effort to protect “law-abiding gun owners.”

“This legislation provides an answer to the confusing patchwork of concealed carry permits, particularly with regard to states where laws make unwitting criminals out of legal permit holders for a simple mistake of a wrong traffic turn,” said Lawrence Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel, in a press release. “It safeguards a state’s right to determine their own laws while protecting the Second Amendment rights of all Americans. We thank Rep. Hudson for his leadership on behalf of America’s hunters and recreational shooters.”