This bill, called the National Constitutional Carry Act, would change federal criminal code section 927 to stop States and local governments from making it a crime or civil offense to carry a firearm in public. It applies to United States citizens who are otherwise legally allowed to have firearms under state and federal law. The bill says any state or local law, rule, or custom that criminalizes, penalizes, or indirectly discourages public carry of firearms would have no effect. It defines "State" to include the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. possessions. The bill defines "public" to include places open to the public, except that private places open to the public can bar firearms if the owner posts a clear and conspicuous prohibition, and "public" does not include places where the state conducts firearm screening.
No publicly available information.
The bill's findings state that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to keep and bear arms, including carrying in public, and that Supreme Court decisions (Heller, McDonald, and Bruen) support application of that right against States. The sponsors say some state and local gun control measures conflict with the Amendment and with the Nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation, and that criminalizing peaceful public carry undermines the Amendment's purpose to preserve the "security of a free State." The bill aims to enforce those rights against States.
No publicly available information.