Full Text of Planned National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Bill Released
Thanks to some fine investigative reporting by the Washington Free Beacon the most recent text of S.446 otherwise known as the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 has been released for the public to view.
This bill, authored by Texas Senator John Cornyn is a little bit different to the prior version of this legislation that was authored by Representative Richard Hudson in January. While both bills would enact national reciprocity for holders of firearms carry licenses, there are a couple of differences.
THE DIFFERENCES
1. CONSTITUTIONAL CARRIERS WILL NEED A PERMIT
Perhaps the major change with this bill from the last iteration is that if you’re a resident of a Constitutional Carry state, and you want to carry in a different state, you will have to get a license. However, the legislation in its current form doesn’t require those residents to obtain a license from their home state. What that means is that residents of the original Constitutional Carry state, Vermont, will be okay if they get a license from Utah or other non-resident friendly locale under the Senate version.
2. THE ISSUE OF PUBLIC PROPERTY
Rep. Hudson’s Concealed Carry bill included some carefully worded language concerning property, that potentially gave a foothold to argue against state bans on concealed carry that aren’t on state property, these issues could mean the allowing of concealed carry in bars or churches. This Senate version openly embraces State law here, stating very clearly that State law must be followed in all of its rulings.
3. UNRESTRICTED LICENSES
This new bill from the Senate also makes it clear that in the event that states issue multiple classes of concealed carry permits the out-of-state licenses must be treated as though they were unrestricted licenses. This wasn’t in Rep. Hudson’s bill but is seen as a good addition by gun rights advocates.
Now mind you this is a very early draft of a bill that will likely go through wave after wave of edits in the House and Senate, but it is certainly an interesting idea to see where we are at when it comes to the legislation.
What do you think of the wording of the bill and the new additions to its verbiage? Let us know in the comments below.
I do not need governments permission to exercise my RIGHTS, that right is the right of self defense, that mean I have a right to carry a weapon to defend myself and government has to right to control that. If government gives permission, they can take that permission away. Wake the frell up sheeple, it is all about CONTROL
Sounds good in the Town Square, but they already have control over you, buy a gun lately without doing a 4473? When’s the last time YOU walked into a Federal Bldg with your Firearms on?? It’s great to Fight the verbal tough guy fight but your peeing into the proverbial wind, be Constructive not Obstructive my Friend, we’ll get further!!
the idea of added ‘licences’ should only apply to thoes that had ‘lost’ there gun owning carry rights , say for at home, to have xyz or pepper spray. ect.
banning the tool just does not seem right to whom ever uses it properly.
in proper use. in the big picture is what is wanted to be controlled.
Carry in New York State. When you get out of your mandatory one year prison sentence for violating the Sullivan Act, come back here and let us know how it went.
Drivers lics. are honored in every state, why not handgun lics. Seems like this would take a lot of red tape out of the deal.
I agree whole heartedly with Dave Hill. My drivers license is honored in every state. My license to carry should be honored as such. Driving a vehicle is a privilege. Owning a firearm for defense and protection is a Constitutional “right”.
Dave and Keith I am with you 100%.
You go Guys.I agree. I will be following you.
Still neither Bill addresses states with over reaching draconian gun control laws and how they apply to out of state permitees. So, you can still get locked up if you cross into NJ with hollow point ammunition in your carry gun or if you carry ammo from out of state into CA. This says nothing about so-called “high capacity” magazines that are legal in your state but controlled in another. So I’m wondering if I drive into NJ with my VA non-resident permit, can a trooper confiscate my ammo and magazines and cite me for violations of their laws which may rise to a felony arrest, prompting the confiscation of my gun and locking me up until some liberal judge gets around to my prelim. hearing? At which I don’t stand a chance because these bills don’t really protect us from anything!
Then, Stay in VA.
i have concealed in Va. with no mag limits, i have concealed in Ma. with 10 round mag limit, so the simple thing to do is before i cross into Ma. i lock up my high capacity mags and put in my 10 rounders and just carry more mags
Are you a resident of Virginia or MA?
That’s a dumb response WAY. I also agree with Keith but Ron has some great questions that need to be addressed also
Absolutely they can and will. You’ll need to know the laws of each State as you do now when traveling with a non-resident permit and plan ahead. What it does is allow you into NJ with your 10 rd mag with Ball Ammo, just like their retired Police Officers are only allowed to carry as opposed to mow where you can not even enter the State. Does it still suck that all these restrictions exist??? Yup! But why look a Gift Horse in the mouth, be happy we’re getting this!!!
The bill does address these things. If you carry into another state you have to follow the laws of the state you are visiting. That protects “State’s Rights” to put reasonable restrictions on the possession of arms. Now, I think the restrictions are anything but reasonable, but the people of that state have the final say in that.
Our current POTUS has already made the statement; “We can drive our vehicles in and out of every state, because we have drivers licenses that are recognized nationwide. A permit to carry a handgun, from state to state, should be a no brainer”.
Leaving state law in place would do little to simplify travel for concealed carry licensees.
Not true, it allows you to legally enter States you can not enter with your Firearm now. Christ the way everyone is whining it sounds like All of you want them to just scrape the Bill and attempt. Gun owners are starting to sound like whiny liberals.
Unfortunately during the time our Constitution was drafted , expanding hollow points didn’t exist. At least They are backing down on the infringement of carrying across state lines. The constitution only guarantees you the right to keep and bear arms, it doesn’t state the level of Lethality that it may contain. There will be some give-and-take with this fight. If I have to Roll through Jersey with ball ammo instead of my critical defense, it’s better than the BS limited reciprocity we have to live with right now !
Finally, A man of Reason!!! I’ve been saying the same thing, the way everyone is whining you’d think they want the Bill scraped and forget about it. Take what we can get, it hasn’t been much.
Blackwater, I am from New Jersey I have experienced firsthand the BS that comes from overzealous gun laws. I can fully sympathize With the people that are from states like California, Maryland and Jersey. That being said, I am a blue-collar union worker who has traditionally voted Democrat because we can’t find a libertarian that isn’t completely off their rocker. The far right conservatives have gotten way out of hand and the far left has become way too “everyone deserves a trophy”. Those of us who think alike need to explore the possibility of entering politics to actually get something to change for the better instead of complaining or “moday morning quarterbacking” the issues. I was very surprised at the culture in Virginia when I moved here given it is traditionally a blue state as well. If there was the balance that Virginia has throughout most of the country the fight would be less of a fight and more of a discussion… sorry for the rambling there’s just so much crap that could be better if rivalries and agendas weren’t all that matters in Washington!
I am a retiree from NH, I go to Florida for the winter and I go to the indoor gun ranges they have. I bring with me going through all those states with anywhere from 8-12 guns and around 1000 rounds of ammo yearly. I do, do my best to make sure i follow laws, such as paddle lock in individual cases, ammo locked in ammo cases. It’s really the best I think i can do, and i’m not staying home or not bringing them to please liberal idea’s. The government should S.446 make every state go by the constitution with it in that law that the states need not infringe and make it a simple law that all states need to follow for, not can’t have this kind of ammo and if my pistol carries 18 if made that way.
I would like to reply to Doug and (NO) Way. The biggest problem we currently have with current gun laws is that they are left in the hands of state and local government. Clearly this is a item that is governed by the Constitution and therefore should not be governed at the local level. If you disagree then I would submit we abolish the Uniform Building/Plumbing/Mechanical/Electrical/Fire/Highway/Judicial and so many other codes that were adopted as a means to enable commerce and conveyance throughout the US in an orderly means and methods and insure interstate commerce and enable CITIZENS of the US with a common LAW. Again if you disagree then you might like stop signs to be round and painted green, I trust you see the point. That being said gun ownership and transportation needs to be at a federal level. You should not be throne in jail and have your record tarnished simply for interstate transportation of a gun without criminal intent simply because on this side of the river we do it differently than the other side. If you have not committed a felony, are a citizen do not have a mental disorder or otherwise diminished capacity then you should be able to carry in ALL 50 states. CA lawmakers are the ones with diminished capacity not the law abiding public, I can say that because I unfortunately live in that state and believe the lawmakers to only be pandering to special interests. To Mr. Way- No way, Way! Virginias laws are not the best either, we need a common ground so that law abiding individuals can traverse the US without fear.
First off I would like to address the drivers license comment that license is a privledge not a right that can be taken away for many reasons. The right to keep and bear arms is a constitutional right not a privldge. I think that having some type of national conceal carry may be good depends
on how it ends up being worded. I’m concerned that it will end up being a hard to understand piece of junk where you need a lawyer to be sure your within their so called national right to conceal carry. That we have already and I carry a book written by a lawyer to make sure I’m not taken from my car at gun point and hand cuffed taken to jail. I just hope when it’s final that it is written with the right keep in the constitutional right to keep and bear arms but I don’t believe that
will be the case. If in fact this is passed I guess it will be better than nothing but I have my doubts.
No matter how many laws are created, the pols who can’t/don’t read the Constitution will continue to meddle with and deliberately misconstrue it. If/when the Dems get back into control – and they will – they start rewriting gun controls back into law. Count on it.
The thing I never understood is how a state can take away the second amendment rights from their citizens while they would never even think of taking away their first or fourth why is the second any different when you think about it the second amendment protects all the others.
The words a “well regulated militia” is what gives the gun haters the loophole… this whole fight between left and right needs to end… We need a Centered leadership that can compromise on all agendas while leaving constitutional rights alone. Separate religious beliefs from government and support a culture of ” if what someone is doing is not harmful to or infringing on others rights, then leave them the HELL alone”!!!
in the day of radification of the constitution ‘ well regulated’ ment well supplied to all , not full of rules, thats no loophole. ( only in there minds) ” the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed ” is pretty clear and it preceeds most, if not all laws , on guns & arms.
THIS HAS BEEN A LONG FIGHT TO FINALLY GET TO WHERE WE ARE.
WHICHEVER BILL PASSES BOTH HOUSES WILL BE A BOON TO LAWFUL GUN OWNERS EVERYWHERE. I DON’T DOUBT THAT STATES LIKE NJ OR CAL WILL RISE UP IN PROTEST OVER IT, HOWEVER THE ONLY PEOPLE I SEE THAT WILL REALLY BE AFFECTED IN A NEGATIVE WAY WILL BE THE RESIDENTS OF THOSE STATED WHO AS A RULE DO NOT ISSUE CARRY PERMITS
How much $$$ will the government goons charge people for this “constitutional carry permit”?
It better not be any more than the $50 I pay every five years in Virginia
Anybody that does not have any law degree should not be trying to preach what are rights and white are not rights. The Constitution clearly states well regulated militia. The government can regulate our guns. I am a big second amendment advocate. So I litigate these types of cases in court all the time. People like to miss interpret the law defend their own needs and what they expect the government to allow us to do. Everyone should wake up and smell the coffee. Guns are good for self-defense purposes but people do not need 50 caliber weapons or fully automatic weapons and claim it’s for self-defense. All a person needs for self-defense is a good size handgun. I’m a firm believer of the guns should never be in a building that is government owned or that has children and it such as public or private schooling for children. Other than that we should be able to carry wherever we want no matter if it’s private property or not.
What part of “The peoples right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed” is confusing? The militia is a unpaid volunteer force made of the people, free to come and go from battle, unlike sworn members of the military.
Who do you think you are? Did you draft the Constitution? Our Gov., By the people, for the people, has no constitutional or any other right to regulate our ability to defend who and what belongs to Us, the citizens of Our United States of America. Those who wish to retain their positions of unlawful authority over us do so only because of their desire for Power, and their greed. If we were free to exercise our second amendment rights, they would no longer hold their positions of unlawful power. That is the main reason they fight so hard to keep us helpless. And do you really think that keeping guns out of the hands of law abiding citizens on government property including schools is a smart idea? It makes a lot more sense (to a sane individual) to arm responsible adults, to be in a position to protect those in their care, within these facilities. How many school shootings and other terroristic incidents will it take before people like you get the connection between being unarmed and vulnerable to such attacks?
With a nod to blackwater, I am glad and want a bill for national reciprocity. However, this bill is an attempt to “do something” about interstate travel with our firearms. In that regard it’s an OK first step. We may not get to see any more steps, politically speaking, so why not wish for a bill that addresses more of the negative issues and attempt to get it right the first time? I like Larry’s comment and would have further expressed the same concerns but wanted to keep my comment simple for those with limited comprehension. These bills, leaving control in states hands, only open the door for a new direction of controls that leftist state governments can further add restrictions on to. Of course, calling them common sense controls. Why not just decriminalize the actions of permitted concealed carriers travelling with firearms and ammo? That should be a first step too.
The stumbling block may likely be due to the large variation in requirements for obtaining a CCW from one state to the next. This level of variation is greater than obtaining a driver’s
license.
Just leave the constition alone, it got us this far until so called libs tried to make us believe they are concerned for us. They know as long as we have guns they can not control us as in third world countrys.
I see good in all your comments but ranting and raving here corrects/accomplishes nothing. Calling your congressman, senator and governors and sending emails, letters and petitions have a better chance of changing things than these forums. Do not get me wrong, I am with all of you.
Just sayin’.
Maybe they do that too …just saying
Paul, as a lawyer, you probably understand that allowing the government control over a clearly stated Right only opens the door for more controls. If you studied the Constitution, you should know that the 2nd Amendment is not based solely on self protection from criminals and furthermore, if you understand firearms, you should also be aware that handguns, though handy, are not the best weapon for self defense as it pertains to lethality. You might also have learned that “well regulated” means “equipped and maintained” for the job at hand not having laws for their regulation (according to constitutional scholars interpretation of words at the time). Your opinion about machine guns and carrying in some government buildings are exactly the interpretations which you speak against.
I see good in all your comments but ranting and raving here corrects/accomplishes nothing. Calling your congressman, senator and governors and sending emails, letters and petitions have a better chance of changing things than these forums. Do not get me wrong, I am with all of you.
Just sayin’.
Be careful what you ask for. While constitutional carry sounds good, I see some potential issues. States may have to recognize your license but still control where you can carry. So the potential for more restrictions is opened up. You may find many more limitations.
any info out there on whether judges carry on the bench? or to and from work? even law makers, i would expect they do and should.
they are just as honerable as any other person who is not restricted for cause ie a violent fellon and i do not mean some tecknical violation of state or city law .
I am a retired Veteran, CSM, of the U. S. Army after 36 years of service. I live in Chicago, IL and I have an Illinois Concealed Carry Permit. I hope that a national reciprocity law is passed, because my daughter & her family live in Austin, TX & my other family is in NJ. I want to be able to drive to visit all my family & legally carry my gun with me. Additionally, I am 75 years old & use a cane to help me walk. Some people may make the mistake that I am an easy mark to take advantage!
I want to see a clause that if the other states laws are prevailing, makes sense. That the Attorney General MUST post on the web in a conspicuous place…his interpretation of the state’s laws. Which complying with that opinion or any omissions on that opinion is a valid defense for anyone not from that state. It must be written so 12th graders would understand.
Some states you can carry concealed without a permit ..because it was ruled why only make it a right for people that pay ..the poor should have the same rights to protect themselves…to carry period so be allowed in every state in the U.S….so now after the states that allow to conceal carry have passed their legislation..they WILL have to buy a damn federal permit?..yes I know that it said the states laws would still work as long as it doesn’t effects ones rights ..you know that’s exactly the problem with legal growers of marijuana are having now ..legal with state laws illegal with federal laws ..so this way the police can still arrest you for not doing anything and then you STILL have a legal costly court case against the carrier.
IF I UNDERSTAND THIS RIGHT I HAVE TO APPLY FOR A LICENSE IN EVERY STATE THAT I PASS THROUGH OR DID I READ THIS WRONG IF SO THEN EVERY STATE WILL WANT A FEE TO PROCESS ALL THE PAPERWORK THAT IS ALREADY THERE.
I cannot believe all the B S rhetoric. Everyone here is trying to make chicken soup out of chicken shit. its very simple.A national standard for interstate CCW. An addendum or stamp to your existing permit.It can be electronically linked to your driver license.I have had a California and Nevada CCW for many years and 90% of CCW holders should not have them.They go to the range once get their permit and they never show up at the range again. And some states like Utah do not have a live fire qual for the permit. Now that is scary.You want someone coming into your state carrying that has never done a live fire, who just sent in his $65.00 for a mail in permit and no training?
Mark, VA. Says 10 round magazine limit does 1 in chamber count?