Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

Twenty-four State Attorneys General Urge Congress to Pass H.R. 38

Monday, June 2, 2025

Twenty-four State Attorneys General Urge Congress to Pass H.R. 38

On May 21, two dozen state attorneys general sent a letter to the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives, urging that body to pass H.R. 38, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act.

The effort, led by Gentner Drummond of Oklahoma and John B. McCuskey of West Virginia, is the largest show of law enforcement support for H.R. 38 in this Congress. It reflects the “perspective [of] the chief law officers of … states … which either recognize the right of law-abiding citizens to carry concealed handguns without a permit or grant full recognition to concealed carry credentials issued by other states.” That experience led the signatories to state: “we know firsthand that recognizing a broad right of concealed carry among law-abiding Americans promotes public safety and respects the fundamental liberties of our constituents.”

Responding to news reports and other critics of the legislation, the letter debunked various fallacies about what the bill would do and whom it would benefit.

It first noted the bill only protects those who are federally eligible to possess firearms, which excludes individuals with a serious criminal history, those subject to certain restraining orders, and persons illegally present in the U.S. Also excluded would be those with dangerous mental health conditions, as established by court commitments or adjudications.

The letter also pushed back against the idea the bill would be an infringement of “states rights,” noting nothing would change about the laws of the states themselves and outlining how state laws and property rights would remain broadly enforceable. It also hinted that these objections were not necessarily offered sincerely or in good faith, observing that such concerns “would have been completely unfamiliar, if not repugnant, to some of these same pundits in any other context.”

The missive further asserted that concerns about the ability of police to keep the peace were obviously overblown, “as permitless carry is now the majority rule in the United States, and police departments … continue to protect and serve the public as before.” It emphasized the continued “authority of a police officer encountering an individual with a concealed firearm to conduct an appropriate investigative stop, consistent with Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1 (1968), to determine the lawfulness of the behavior and whether the person meets the thresholds for protection under the Act.”

Finally, the letter took on the false premise that the legislation would “force states with strict permitting standards to accommodate carriers from jurisdictions with more lax requirements.” It argued anti-gun states made this claim not because their permitting standards were better at screening out high-risk applicants, but simply because they prevented as many people from carrying as possible. “But failure to acknowledge the right is not the same thing as permitting only the ‘safest’ people to carry,” the AGs noted.

The letter concluded:

our constituents are threatened with arrest, prosecution, and mandatory prison time for technical violations of licensing or possession laws involving conduct that is perfectly legal in all but a handful of states, most of which have well-established history and practice of suppressing the right to keep and bear arms. This is unacceptable, and Congress has the authority and the duty to protect these rights.

While suppressors have lately been in the spotlight because of Congress moving legislation to remove them from the NFA, the NRA remains committed to achieving the goal of interstate reciprocity for concealed carry. The AGs’ letter represents an important milestone illustrating the broad support and success concealed carry has achieved in the states. Hopefully Congress is paying attention and will finally catch up to the states in recognizing this fundamental aspect of Second Amendment rights and, indeed, of the American experience.  

In the meantime, the NRA thanks Attorneys General Drummond and McCuskey as well as the rest of the signatories for their leadership in this important effort. 

TRENDING NOW
Major Digital Currency’s Terms of Use Prohibit Firearm and Ammunition Sales

News  

Monday, October 20, 2025

Major Digital Currency’s Terms of Use Prohibit Firearm and Ammunition Sales

So much of the energy surrounding the digital currency space has been aimed at bringing forth a new liberty. 

CBS Report: Chicago’s Responsible Gun Owners Wrongfully Arrested, Charged

News  

Monday, October 27, 2025

CBS Report: Chicago’s Responsible Gun Owners Wrongfully Arrested, Charged

The Windy City has its fair share of problems, but a lack of violent criminals isn’t one of them, as anyone who takes a moment to look through local crime news source CWB Chicago knows for a ...

North Carolina: Update on Permitless Carry

Friday, October 24, 2025

North Carolina: Update on Permitless Carry

Last week the North Carolina General Assembly briefly returned from recess and re-referred Senate Bill 50, Freedom to Carry NC, to the House Rules Committee.

NRA-ILA Files Comments on DOJ’s Relief from Disabilities Rulemaking

News  

Monday, October 27, 2025

NRA-ILA Files Comments on DOJ’s Relief from Disabilities Rulemaking

Last Monday, NRA-ILA (ILA) filed comments in response to a proposed rulemaking by the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to revive the government’s “relief from disabilities” program for people categorically prohibited from acquiring or possessing firearms. 

Trump Continues Commitment to Gun Owners

News  

Monday, October 27, 2025

Trump Continues Commitment to Gun Owners

We’ve covered the numerous ways in which President Donald Trump has used his office to defend or advance our rights protected under the Second Amendment. 

Taxpayer-Funded Orgs Bankroll Ad Council “Children” and Firearms Propaganda

News  

Monday, October 27, 2025

Taxpayer-Funded Orgs Bankroll Ad Council “Children” and Firearms Propaganda

The idiot box has been living up to the nickname.

NRA-ILA Files Reply Brief Pressing the U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Its Challenge to the NFA’s Restrictions on Short-Barreled Rifles

Thursday, October 23, 2025

NRA-ILA Files Reply Brief Pressing the U.S. Supreme Court to Hear Its Challenge to the NFA’s Restrictions on Short-Barreled Rifles

Today, the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) filed a Reply Brief urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear a challenge to the National Firearms Act of 1934’s restrictions on short-barreled rifles in a ...

Urban Crime Spike “the Most Overlooked U.S. Crime Story in Recent Years”

News  

Monday, October 20, 2025

Urban Crime Spike “the Most Overlooked U.S. Crime Story in Recent Years”

It was a standard talking point of the Biden White House that violent crime had dropped by record levels under the Biden-Harris administration, attributed in part to its support of gun control measures.

From Printers to Panic: Everytown Summit on “3D Printed Firearms” Targets Progress

News  

Monday, October 27, 2025

From Printers to Panic: Everytown Summit on “3D Printed Firearms” Targets Progress

Recently, Everytown for Gun Safety hosted a 3D Printed Firearms Summit in New York City with the goal being to “build cross-sector collaboration and chart actionable strategies to stem the tide of 3D-printed firearm (3DPF) related violence.” 

NRA Files Lawsuit Challenging California’s Glock Ban

Monday, October 13, 2025

NRA Files Lawsuit Challenging California’s Glock Ban

Today, the National Rifle Association—along with Firearms Policy Coalition, Second Amendment Foundation, Poway Weapons & Gear, and two NRA members—filed a lawsuit challenging California’s Glock ban.

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.