Firearms Owners Against Crime
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
Institute for Legal, Legislative and Educational Action
U.S. House of Representatives Passes H.R. 822
In a remarkable and LONG overdue victory for common sense and gun owners rights, the U.S. House of Representatives passed today H.R. 822 - the National Right to Carry Reciprocity Act - which if carried forward into law will dramatically improve citizens rights to self defense.
The vote was lopsided - 272-154 - and a majority of Pennsylvania Congressmen backed the measure. This bill will simply require all states that have a permit process (49) to recognize Licenses to Carry Concealed Firearms from other states, Illinois being the one exception as well as the District of Columbia. This is the very same concept behind the recognition of a myriad of other state based licenses such as Driver's Licenses, armored car guards permits, marriage licenses, etc.
Despite the confusion and rhetoric surrounding this legislation, espoused by many self-defense opponents who suddenly embraced states' rights as an excuse to oppose this legislation, this legislation does NOT affect, in any way, existing state laws controlling where and how concealed firearms are carried. State laws governing where concealed firearms may be carried would apply within each state's borders. H.R. 822 does not create a federal licensing system, impose federal standards on state permits, require training standards, create databases of gun owners, as all the anti-gun amendments were voted down. In addition, State laws governing where concealed firearms may be carried would apply within each state's borders.
In the end this legislation' passage is a resounding step forward in recognizing that criminals do not respect borders or laws and that law abiding citizens should not be limited by them either . We applaud the Congressmen and women who supported this measure and hope the Senators will swiftly pass it as well.
FOAC will be grading each and every vote on not only Final Passage but also all of the amendments that were acted on today during the deliberations and passage of H.R. 822.