House Republicans are renewing efforts to expand concealed carry rights across state lines with a bill known as the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.
The legislation would require states to recognize concealed carry permits issued by other states, much like they recognize out-of-state driver’s licenses.
“There’s a lot of words there, but it’s a very common sense, simple piece of legislation,” Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., the bill’s lead sponsor, told “America Reports” Thursday.
“It says that every state should recognize the concealed carry permissions of the other states.”
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The proposal has gained support from dozens of Republican lawmakers, along with one Democrat in the past. Backers argue that the bill protects law-abiding gun owners from becoming criminals simply by crossing state lines.
“When law-abiding citizens are traveling, they shouldn’t be turned into criminals because they cross the state line,” Hudson said.
President Donald Trump has also voiced support for the bill.
“I will sign concealed carry reciprocity. Your Second Amendment does not end at the state line,” Trump said in a campaign video from 2024.
A similar version of the bill passed the House in 2017 but stalled in the Senate.
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“We got it through the Judiciary Committee, we got it through the House,” Hudson said.
“But the Senate wouldn’t move it. [Senate Majority Leader] John Thune is committed to the issue. So I think we’ll get it done this time.”
However, the legislation is facing strong opposition from gun safety advocates and some state officials. Critics argue that national reciprocity would override states’ ability to set their own standards for concealed carry, effectively weakening stricter gun laws in states like New York or California.
“These lawmakers are pushing a federal mandate that would override carefully crafted gun safety laws, like New York’s, commanding states to ignore their own laws and instead allow people from across the country to carry loaded, hidden handguns in public without even so much as a permit or background check,” gun safety group Everytown for Gun Safety said in a statement.
Opponents also point to major differences in state laws. Some states prohibit individuals with violent criminal records from carrying concealed weapons, while others have looser restrictions. A nationwide policy, they argue, could open the door for more dangerous individuals to carry weapons legally in stricter states.
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