The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, H.R. 38, has taken a major step toward becoming a reality by advancing out of the U.S. House Judiciary Committee on an 18-9 party-line vote, with Democrats predictably opposed.
As noted by the Buckeye Firearms Association, “The legislation would allow concealed carry permit holders, authorized by their home state, to carry a concealed firearm in other states provided they comply with the law in other states — much in the same way a driver’s license is recognized.”
Congressman Jim Jordan (R-OH), who chairs the Judiciary Committee, set the tone of this week’s markup hearing on H.R. 38 when he observed, “Our First Amendment rights do not change from one state to another and our Second Amendment rights should not either. Law-abiding citizens should be able to a concealed firearm between states without worrying about conflicting state criminal laws or onerous civil suits.”
He noted there are millions of concealed carry permit owners throughout the nation. Twenty-nine states have constitutional carry or permitless carry laws.
The H.R. 38 debate occurred during the latter third of the lengthy markup hearing, which may be viewed here.
According to the most recent concealed carry estimate from the Crime Prevention Research Center, there are at least 21.46 million licensed concealed carriers, a number which is down slightly from previous years, likely due to the proliferation of permitless carry laws.
“This means,” Jordan stated, “that a state does not require law-abiding citizens to obtain a concealed carry permit or license before carrying a firearm outside their home.”
The vote was lauded by the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms as it recalled its massive cable television effort launched in January to petition Congress to pass the legislation.
“We’re delighted at the outcome of this contentious hearing, and we are hopeful the full House quickly passes this bill and sends it over to the Senate,” said CCRKBA Chairman Alan Gottlieb. “Nobody should leave his or her right of self-defense at the border when they cross over into another state. The Founders never envisioned such a scenario when they ratified the Constitution. Law-abiding, licensed citizens do not commit violent crimes.
“Our very essence as an organization is to protect and defend the right to bear arms,” Gottlieb continued. “We’re gratified that other Second Amendment organizations are also on board, so we are in very good company.”
The legislation is also supported by the National Rifle Association, Gun Owners of America and National Shooting Sports Foundation. The NRA, in a post on “X,” declared, “Thank you, Jim Jordan, for your work to advance this bill in the House Judiciary Committee! It’s time to pass the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act and protect law-abiding Americans’ 2A rights!”
Immediately during the markup hearing, Ranking Member Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) contended, “This bill would cause weak laws and have dangerous nationwide repercussions. This bill would almost certainly lead to nationwide increases in violent gun crime.”
He and other Democrats repeatedly returned to this argument, and alleged passage will somehow threaten public safety, without actually identifying any of the studies to which they alluded while making the claims.
But Rep. Jefferson Van Drew (R-NJ) countered that criminals already carry across state lines, without any permit and with total disregard for existing law. He stressed that it is criminals, not legally-armed private citizens who cause problems and break laws. He said armed private citizens are far less likely to commit a crime than average Americans, an observation his Democrat colleagues could not refute.
Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC), who has sponsored the legislation before and is sponsoring it again—this time with at least 178 co-sponsors—observed, “Our Second Amendment right does not disappear when we cross invisible state lines, and this commonsense legislation guarantees that. The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act will protect law-abiding citizens’ rights to conceal carry and travel freely between states without worrying about conflicting state codes or onerous civil suits.”
The odds of House passage appear good, even though Republicans only hold a slim 218-213 majority over Democrats. If the bill is approved and moves to the Senate, Republicans have the majority, 53-45,so they will need the votes of at least seven Democrats for passage.
When Hudson’s legislation was approved by the House during the first Trump administration, it stalled in the Senate, where Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell was then the majority leader. But this year, McConnell has been replaced by Sen. John Thune (R-SD) as the majority leader.
President Donald Trump has pledged to sign a reciprocity bill into law if it hits his desk. Support for the measure appears stronger this time around, and if gun owners and concealed carry activists keep up the pressure on Congress, it could result in another victory for gun owners.
About Dave Workman
