A bill to amend title 18, United States Code, to provide a means by which nonresidents of a State whose residents may carry concealed firearms may also do so in the State.
The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, later the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (H.R. 38), is a bill that would amend Title 18 of the United States Code to require all U.S. states to recognize concealed carry permits granted by other states. It would also allow the concealed transport of handguns across state lines, so long as it is allowed by both states[1] and would amend the Gun-Free School Zones Act of 1990 to allow permit holders to carry a concealed weapon in school zones in any state.[2]
The National Rifle Association praised the bill, writing on its website that "This would end abuses in anti-gun states like California, New York and New Jersey and allow law-abiding concealed carriers to exercise their rights nationwide with peace of mind".[1]
Democrats have criticized the bill, claiming, among other things, that it would infringe on states' rights and adversely affect public safety.[1]Gun control advocates such as Sara Gorman have also criticized the bill, stating that it would be dangerous for victims of domestic abuse because it would allow people to circumvent background checks for guns or permits by obtaining them in more permissive states.[6]
On February 11, 2018, it was reported that President Donald Trump "fully" supported the bill,[7] but on February 27 it was reported that Trump instead preferred Fix NICS Act, sponsored by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), that included stronger background checks.[8] Trump signed "Fix NICS" on March 23, 2018.
^Gorman, Sara (2017-12-01). "The US's latest gun bill will be devastating for victims of domestic violence". Quartz. Retrieved 2017-12-04. Here's how this act could be devastating for victims of domestic abuse: if someone with a history of domestic abuse is denied a gun after a background check in one state, he or she could simply go to another state that does not require background checks at the point of purchase or permits for concealed carry, purchase a gun, and carry it across state lines. While federal law technically prohibits domestic abusers from purchasing guns, the law applies only to spouses, not to any other kind of partner, such as a boyfriend. In addition, there is a loophole in the federal law for unlicensed private gun sellers, which account for at least 25% of gun sales. Finally, there are many oversights in which people with histories of domestic abuse do not get reported into the federal system, which is how the shooter in Sutherland Springs was able to obtain a gun after multiple incidents of domestic abuse that were never reported at the federal level. For all of these reasons, it is the state level laws that end up being most effective at prohibiting domestic abusers from both purchasing and carrying concealed firearms. The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act would undermine existing state-level restrictions that protect victims of domestic abuse.
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