Hudson Introduces HR 38 Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, Begins 118th Congress
Washington D.C. – After being sworn-in for the 118th Congress on Saturday, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (R-NC) yesterday introduced H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. The bipartisan legislation has 118 original cosponsors.
"H.R. 38 guarantees the Second Amendment does not disappear when crossing an invisible state line," said Rep. Hudson. "The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act protects law-abiding citizens' rights to conceal carry and travel freely between states without worrying about conflicting state codes or onerous civil suits. I am especially proud to have such widespread and bipartisan support for this measure as I continue working to get this legislation over the finish line."
H.R. 38 would allow people with state-issued concealed carry licenses or permits to conceal a handgun in any other state, as long as the permit holder follows the laws of that state. It also allows residents of Constitutional carry states the ability to carry in other states.
Rep. Hudson has introduced the bipartisan Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act in previous years. In Dec. 2017, the bill was passed by the House with a vote of 231-198, yet was not taken up in the Senate. Rep. Hudson said at the time he would continue to pursue the legislation, which is supported by major pro-Second Amendment organizations.
"The U.S. Supreme Court recently affirmed that the fundamental right to keep and bear arms does not stop at a person’s front door. Congress should now affirm that the right to self-defense does not stop at a state line," said Jason Ouimet, Executive Director of the NRA-ILA. "The NRA thanks Rep. Hudson for his strong and unwavering leadership in the march towards right-to-carry reciprocity."
"We applaud Congressman Hudson for continuing to stand up for the rights of law-abiding gun owners. This long-overdue legislation would represent a step in the right direction towards modernizing America’s concealed carry laws to ensure responsible gun owners can avoid danger and save lives," said Tim Schmidt, President and Founder of the U.S. Concealed Carry Association. "The USCCA remains committed to getting national concealed carry reciprocity signed into law."
H.R. 38 has been called "the greatest gun rights boost since the ratification of the Second Amendment in 1791." This legislation is part ofRep. Hudson's leadership in Congress to defend the Second Amendmenton behalf of millions of law-abiding citizens. His recent efforts include leading opposition to new regulation from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on pistol stabilizing braces, devices designed to help disabled veterans continue exercising their Second Amendment rights.
After being introduced, H.R. 38 now waits to be assigned to a committee in the U.S. House.
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