Should those approved for concealed carry in their home state, be able to do the same in all states that permit concealed carry?
This bill (H.R. 38), would allow people who can legally carry concealed firearms in their home state to also carry them in other states that permit concealed carry. In simple terms, if you have a valid concealed carry permit from your state, you could carry your handgun in other states that allow concealed carry, as long as you have proper ID. The bill includes protections for private property rights and governmental buildings and gives people legal recourse if their rights under this law are violated. It would take effect 90 days after being enacted.
Sponsor: Rep. Richard Hudson (Republican, North Carolina, District 9)
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Opponents say
• "The carrying of concealed, loaded guns in public places can quickly escalate everyday conflicts into deadly altercations, causing tragic, irreversible damage to innocent lives. These dangers are amplified when states weaken their standards for who is qualified to carry loaded weapons in public, or when states eliminate these standards and protections entirely. [...] Guns carried in public pose a substantial threat to public safety. A robust body of academic literature shows that when more people carry guns in public, violent crime increases. – The most comprehensive and rigorous study of concealed carry laws found that in states with weak permitting laws, violent crime rates were 13% to 15% higher than predicted had such laws not been in place. – Weak concealed-carry permitting laws are also associated with 11% higher rates of homicide committed with handguns compared with states with stronger permitting systems. – The dangerous impacts of weak permitting laws also extend to nonfatal injuries. States that weakened their permitting laws saw a 9.5% increase in rates of gun assaults in the first 10 years after adopting these weaker standards." Source: Giffords Law Center: To Prevent Gun Violence
• "By making it easy for almost anyone to carry a concealed handgun in public, right-to-carry laws increase violent crime, firearm robberies, gun thefts, workplace homicides, and mass shootings. Right-to-carry laws make it harder for law enforcement to solve violent crimes and are opposed by many law enforcement leaders across the country. Similarly, permitless carry harms public safety by removing essential safety measures designed to ensure that those carrying handguns in public have been properly trained and vetted. Evidence overwhelmingly suggests that the removal of concealed carry permitting systems is associated with higher rates of gun homicide and violent crime." Source: Center for American Progress
Proponents say
• "Right-to-Carry (RTC) laws recognize the right to carry concealed handguns away from home, either without a permit or with one issued by the state. These laws align with the U.S. Constitution, 44 state constitutions, and common law, all of which recognize the right to self-defense. In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the Supreme Court ruled that ‘the inherent right of self-defense has been central to the Second Amendment right,’ affirming ‘the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation.’ Since 1991, as the number of RTC states and permit-holders has increased, violent crime has decreased significantly, with the murder rate dropping to near all-time lows by 2015." Source: NRA-ILA
• "Sponsored by U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08), this important legislation allows law-abiding Americans to protect themselves and their families at all times by ensuring that a concealed carry permit in one state is recognized in other states that allow residents to carry. We applaud Congressman Hudson (R-NC) for continuing to stand up for the rights of law-abiding gun owners. This long-overdue legislation would represent a step in the right direction towards modernizing America’s concealed carry laws to ensure responsible gun owners can avoid danger and save lives. The USCCA remains committed to getting national concealed carry reciprocity signed into law. After years of policies that targeted law-abiding gun owners rather than prioritized public safety, it is our expectation, and the expectation of our 700,000 members, that Congress will finally move this important policy forward. The need for national concealed carry reciprocity is critically important." Source: U.S. Concealed Carry Association
