U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville, R-Ala., is joining U.S. Sen, John Cornyn, R-TX, and 42 GOP colleagues in reintroducing the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act ahead of the 119th Congress.
The bill looks to allow individuals who are licensed to conceal carry in their home state to do the same in other states where concealed carry is legal. Tuberville also cosponsored the legislation when it was first introduced in Feb. 2023.
The bill specifically states that individuals who are not prohibited by “Federal law from possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm, and who [carry] a government-issued photographic identification document and a valid license or permit which… permits the individual to carry a concealed firearm” can “possess or carry a concealed handgun (other than a machinegun or destructive device) that has been shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce” in any state that “(A) has a statute that allows residents of the State to obtain licenses or permits to carry concealed firearms; or (B) does not prohibit the carrying of concealed firearms by residents of the State for lawful purposes”.
Under the bill, an individual who may normally be required to obtain a separate license to concealed carry in a state that they do not reside in would no longer need to obtain such a permit. As long as an individual is licensed to concealed carry in their home state, they would be able to do so in any state where concealed carry is legal, though they would remain subject to that state’s specific rules and regulations.
According to Tuberville’s official press release, the bill would liken state-issued concealed carry permits to drivers’ licenses “where an individual can use their home-state license to drive in another state, but must abide by that other state’s speed limit or road laws.”
“For too long, federal officials have misplaced their priorities by over-regulating the use of firearms that Americans are legally entitled to own,” said Tuberville. “The constant malignment of Americans exercising a constitutional right has to end.”
The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act is endorsed by the National Rifle Association, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, and Gun Owners of America. U.S. Sen. Katie Britt, R-Ala., is also one of the bill’s co-sponsors.
If enacted, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act would go into effect 90 days after its passage.
