Federal Concealed Carry Reciprocity Bill Introduced in Senate, Gun Rights Organizations Offer Support

Texas Senator John Cornyn is introducing a bill in the US Senate that would allow for national concealed carry reciprocity.

Cornyn’s bill takes a fairly ‘soft shoe’ approach on the issue of reciprocity. It does not establish any federal guidelines or a permitting system. It does not change the carry laws that are in place in various states. It does not change what types of firearms are legal/illegal at the state level.

Think of it like this – if you have a driver’s license in your home state, you can use that anywhere in the country, however, you still have to follow any state driving laws in other states. Just because your state allows right turns on red doesn’t mean another state does too.

I’m way over simplifying here and it’s not a perfect analogy, but you get the idea.

The bill is supported by both the NRA and Gun Owners of America. From the NRA:

“The current patchwork of state and local laws is confusing for even the most conscientious and well-informed concealed carry permit holders. This confusion often leads to law-abiding gun owners running afoul of the law when they exercise their right to self-protection while traveling or temporarily living away from home,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director of the NRA-ILA. “Senator Cornyn’s legislation provides a much needed solution to a real problem for law-abiding gun owners.”

From GOA’s Facebook page:

Gun Owners of America backs Senator Cornyn’s “constitutional carry” reciprocity bill. We will be issuing an alert soon, rallying the troops to get Senate cosponsors on the bill.

Source: Guns Save Lives