Hudson Appeared on 60 Minutes

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (NC-08) appeared on 60 Minutes on CBS News to discuss his bipartisan bill, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 (H.R. 38), which passed the House last December.

Currently, the patchwork of reciprocity laws and agreements between states is confusing and has caused law-abiding citizens like Shaneen Allen to unwittingly break the law and suffer arrest and detention.

Rep. Hudson discussed Allen's story with Steve Kroft, saying, “What she didn't know is that New Jersey didn't recognize Pennsylvania's concealed carry permit. So this single mom who had never had a run-in with the law spent almost two months in jail and was facing ten years in prison because she'd crossed that state line.”

When Kroft asked Rep. Hudson how often this happens, Rep. Hudson replied, “Once is too much. These are law-abiding citizens. These are not the problem.”

As Rep. Hudson has said, H.R. 38 is common sense – it will affirm that law-abiding citizens who are qualified to carry concealed in one state can also carry in other states that allow residents to do so. This is a simple application of Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution requiring that states give “full faith and credit” to the “public acts, records and judicial proceedings of every other state.” This clause allows your driver’s license to be recognized by all 50 states, and there is no sound reason why it should not apply to concealed carry permits as well.

As Rep. Hudson told Kroft, “Driving is a privilege, owning a firearm is a Constitutionally protected right.”

H.R. 38 is one of the most important pro-Second Amendment measures in Congress, with some supporters saying it would be one of the greatest legislative advancements of our Second Amendment rights in history. The bill is also supported by attorneys general of 24 states. For a one-pager on the bill, click here. For a Q&A document, click here.

As it stands, even the most careful and knowledgeable concealed carry permit holders find it difficult to navigate the current maze of state and local concealed carry laws. H.R. 38 is a common sense solution. The bill would allow law-abiding citizens with a state-issued concealed carry license or permit to conceal a handgun in any other state that allows concealed carry. It would also allow law-abiding residents of Constitutional carry states the ability to carry in other states that recognize their own residents’ right to concealed carry. H.R. 38 would allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed only if they are not federally prohibited from possessing or receiving a firearm, are carrying a valid government-issued photo ID, and are lawfully licensed or otherwise entitled to carry a concealed handgun. Each person would have to follow the laws of the state, county and municipality in which they are carrying concealed.

In District of Columbia v. Heller (2008), the Supreme Court ruled that “the inherent right of self-defense has been central to the Second Amendment right,” which is “the individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation.” This fundamental right does not stop at a state’s borders and law-abiding citizens should be able to exercise this right when crossing state lines. In addition, Article IV, Section 1 of the Constitution states, “Full faith and credit shall be given in each state to the public acts, records, and judicial proceedings of every other state. And the Congress may by general laws prescribe the manner in which such acts, records, and proceedings shall be proved, and the effect thereof.” This is the clause that allows a driver’s license to be recognized across state lines.

Under H.R. 38, states would retain their authority to enact restrictions on where, when and how people can lawfully carry in the state. In addition, the bill would not make it any easier to buy a gun. It has nothing to do with the purchase of guns, it would not alter access to guns, and it would not change the federal law requiring background checks on gun purchases.

Critics are also wrong that H.R. 38 would arm criminals. If someone is prohibited from purchasing or possessing a firearm, nothing in this bill would allow that person to purchase or possess a firearm, let alone carry one in a concealed fashion. That is illegal and will remain illegal under H.R. 38. As a matter of fact, there is a specific provision in H.R. 38 that excludes any individual who is prohibited by federal law from “possessing, transporting, shipping, or receiving a firearm.” According to the ATF, the Gun Control Act (GCA), codified at 18 U.S.C. § 922(g), makes it unlawful for certain categories of persons to ship, transport, receive, or possess firearms or ammunition, to include any person:

The American people understand these facts. That’s why an overwhelming majority of Americans support concealed carry reciprocity – 73% according to a recent New York Times survey.