Federally Mandated Concealed Carry
The House, including Congressmen Schrader and Walden, voted December 6, 2017 to pass HR 38, Concealed Carry. This bill will endanger law enforcement, private citizens, and allow people who have been convicted of violent misdemeanors carry hidden, concealed guns in all states.
Bills have been introduced in both the House and Senate (H.R. 38; S.B. 446) that would mandate “concealed carry reciprocity.” This means that each state would be required to honor a concealed carry permit issued by another state.
Currently, each state has its own rules about which carry permits, if any, from other states it will honor. But under concealed carry reciprocity, for example, Maryland – a state with broad discretion in granting permits – would be required to honor a permit granted by the state of Utah – a state which grants permits without discretion, even to out of state residents.
Maryland would then have to allow the Utah permit holder to carry a concealed firearm everywhere within Maryland that a local permit holder may carry.
In addition, 12 states are permitless carry states. That means untrained residents from those states who may legally possess firearms in their state could legally carry concealed firearms – without obtaining a permit – even in the other 38 states that normally require permits.
Oregon law does not require a concealed carry applicant to even touch a gun before obtaining a permit to carry a loaded, hidden gun. While some counties require hands-on training, Oregon law does not.
Over 200,000 Oregonians currently hold concealed handgun licenses and are permitted to carry loaded, hidden guns into sensitive places including public schools, graded K through 12.
Reciprocity is similar to allowing people who have never even been in a car to have drivers licenses and forcing other states to honor those licenses. Oregon state law does not require an applicant for a concealed handgun license (CHL) to even touch a gun to obtain a CHL. (Some Oregon counties do require CHL applicants to shoot a firearm before granting a CHL but Oregon state law does not.)
HR 38 does not require high standards for carrying concealed guns. We are all at higher risk of gunshot injury when untrained people carry guns.
Position:
Oppose
Status:
Died in a previous Congress