Senate Republicans push for concealed carry reciprocity in new Second Amendment bill

Republican Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, and Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., today will introduce new Second Amendment reforms that would allow state-issued concealed carry permits to be recognized in other states that allow concealed carry.

The bill, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, is backed by more than 40 of their Senate colleagues, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and Senate Minority Whip John Thune, R-S.D.

“I’m proud to support law-abiding gun owners across America with this commonsense legislation that would let them concealed carry in all states that allow it,” said Cornyn, who sits on the Senate judiciary, finance and intelligence committees.

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Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas
(AP Photo / Andrew Harnik / File)

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“This legislation strengthens two of our most fundamental constitutional protections – the Second Amendment’s right of citizens to keep and bear arms and the Tenth Amendment’s right of states to make laws best-suited for their residents,” he said.

Currently, while all 50 states allow for concealed carry, 25 states require a permit. While some states are already engaged in reciprocity with select other states, there’s no federal allowance for reciprocity across all states that require permits.

“The constitutional right of self-defense should not disappear simply because an individual crosses state lines,” said Hagerty. “I’m pleased to join my Senate colleagues in this commonsense legislation to ensure that law-abiding Tennesseans who are permitted to carry a concealed firearm are able to exercise that right in other states, consistent with those states’ laws, without having to obtain a separate permit.”

Sen. Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn.
(Greg Nash / Pool / Getty Images / File)

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The measure treats state-issued concealed carry permits like drivers’ licenses, as people can use their home-state license to drive in another state but must abide by that other state’s speed limit or road laws.

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas

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The senators say that their legislation protects state sovereignty by not establishing a national standard for concealed carry.