Legislation recently introduced in both houses of Congress would allow gun owners to carry concealed weapons across State lines. The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act has been introduced by Senator John Cornyn (TX-R) as S. 498 and by Representative Richard Nugent (FL-R) as H.R. 402. Under the bill, gun owners with concealed carry permits from their State would be able to bring their firearms to any other State with concealed carry laws.
All 50 States and the District of Columbia have some form of “concealed carry” — which generally refers to the practice of carrying a concealed firearm on one’s person in public. These laws vary significantly from State to State, however. Some are more restrictive than others, some require permits and some do not, and some also allow “open carry” — the act of publicly carrying a firearm in plain sight.
In introducing his bill, Senator Cornyn said that it “strengthens two of our Nation’s fundamental rights — the right of law-abiding citizens to protect themselves and States’ rights to adopt laws that are best suited for their residents.”
The National Rifle Association backs the measure, saying that Federal legislation is needed to clarify a “patchwork of State and local laws” that is “confusing for even the most conscientious and well-informed concealed carry permit holders.”
Gun control groups are vowing to fight the legislation. Dan Gross, President of the Brady Campaign to Prevent Gun Violence, called the bill “evil and dangerous,” adding, “Under this proposal, law enforcement in States with stronger gun laws would be handcuffed and helpless to take their own reasonable precautions to prevent dangerous people from carrying guns. States that use reasonable discretion in awarding concealed carry permits would be forced to accept the standards of States with reprehensibly low standards.”
Senator Cornyn offered an identical proposal as an amendment to the Safe Communities, Safe Schools Act in April 2013, but with Democrats then in control of the Senate, it fell three votes short of the 60-vote majority needed for passage.
The bill’s sponsors believe that with the new Republican majority, they will be able to secure enough Democratic votes to overcome a Senate filibuster and send the measure to the President’s desk. Although President Obama is not likely to sign the bill, its passage would still represent a significant victory for its supporters.
For more background on this topic, see the March 2013 issue of Congressional Digest on “Gun Violence Prevention” and the April 2010 issue of Supreme Court Debates on “Gun Control in the States.”
