The bill HB 543 is a major victory for Second Amendment supporters across the nation. The bill Sens. Mike Lee (R-UT), John Cornyn (R-TX), and Bill Hagerty (R-TN) introduced the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, along with 42 of their Senate colleagues on Wednesday.
According to HB 543’s summary, the proposed law would accomplish the following:
Authorizes person to carry concealed weapon or concealed firearm if he or she is licensed to do so or meets specified requirements; requires person who is carrying concealed weapon or concealed firearm without license to carry identification & display upon demand by law enforcement; prohibits person who is carrying concealed weapon or concealed firearm without license from carrying such weapon or firearm in specified locations; authorizes nonresident to carry concealed weapon or concealed firearm in this state if he or she meets same requirements as resident.
The summary of the bill also makes clear that a constitutional carry framework does not erase penalties for carrying a firearm into prohibited areas. For example, it notes that HB 543 “provides person authorized to carry a concealed weapon or concealed firearm without license is subject to specified penalties for possessing such weapon or firearm at school-sponsored event or on school property.”
This bill will allow firearm owners to travel across states without being concerned about conflicting or confusing laws surrounding their permit rights by recognizing concealed carry permits similarly to driver’s licenses. Highlighting how this law is both protective of gun owners’ rights and respectful of state autonomy, an important balance for Second Amendment advocates everywhere. Sen. Kennedy made it clear that this bill seeks to “affirm Americans’ fundamental liberties while respecting individual states’ rights to establish their own laws.”
People who are passionate about promoting gun rights and ensuring reasonable gun control measures have overwhelmingly backed this bill. Senior vice president and general counsel for the National Shooting Sports.
Foundation, Larry Keane, praised the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act as “common sense legislation that solves the problem of the confusing patchwork of laws surrounding concealed carry permits, particularly with regard to states where laws make unwitting criminals out of legal permit holders for a simple mistake.” Something that all supporters should be encouraged by, Keane went on to emphasize that this new bill safeguards people’s right to bear arms while also protecting Second Amendment rights across all 50 states equally.
Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) had previously proposed his own House reciprocity bill, H.R. 38, “Second Amendment does not disappear when crossing an invisible state line…[It] protects law-abiding citizens’ rights to conceal carry and travel freely between states without worrying about conflicting state codes or onerous civil suits.”
There are currently 25 constitutional carry states in the United States: Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maine, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Hampshire, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
The fact that these two proposals are receiving such strong bipartisan support as they approach becoming law is encouraging for gun enthusiasts everywhere, as it shows that both sides understand the value of Second Amendment rights in contemporary America.
These bills seek to not only protect the rights of gun owners but also to offer real comfort and security to those who choose to lawfully own firearms as part of responsible self-defense preparation by enabling lifelong residents, frequent travelers, and everyone in between to ensure their ability to exercise their Second Amendment rights regardless of the state they find themselves in.
Watch the video below for more details:
Sources: TheBeltwayReport, FoxNews, RebelNews