Law Enforcement Officers will Face Litigation Risks If the Federally Mandated Concealed Carry Bill Becomes Law

One of the gun lobby’s top legislative priorities is to ignore states’ rights by mandating the unrestricted concealed carry of firearms. The obvious problem with this policy is that standards for issuing permits to allow individuals to carry loaded, concealed guns in public vary significantly — and some states have dangerously lax laws. (12 states don’t even require a permit to carry a loaded, concealed firearm in public spaces.)

The gun lobby is going all in behind this idea, but law enforcement experts are not.

In fact, many major law enforcement groups are opposed to federally mandated concealed carry reciprocity legislation. While these proposals have been introduced in Congress for years, the latest version introduced in the House of Representatives directly undermines the ability of law enforcement to effectively do their jobs and ensure public safety. Nevertheless, back in January, Congressman Richard Hudson (R-NC) introduced the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017.

Here’s why:

This bill effectively requires law enforcement to confront armed travelers with concealed weapons permits from all 50 states and will create confusing — and dangerous — situations for the public and police alike.

• Requirements for a concealed carry weapons permit vary dramatically across the 50 states. If this bill were to pass, it’d be nearly impossible for law enforcement officers to quickly and easily verify that individuals are carrying lawfully. It’s not just the state laws for who can carry concealed that vary significantly across the states. The actual permits vary significantly, too. For example, some state permit cards contain no photograph of the permit holder and are as flimsy as library cards, necessitating law enforcement to contact out-of-state issuing authorities to verify the authenticity. This would result in a lengthy and complicated process that would divert the attention and resources of law enforcement from critical public safety issues, like violent crime.
• Most alarmingly, the bill in the House of Representatives goes so far as to open up law enforcement to the threat of personal litigation. If a law enforcement officer mistakenly questions a person’s legal authority to carry a concealed firearm, they can be sued. As a result, officers would fear conducting a thorough investigation and enforcing our laws — two of their most basic responsibilities as guardians of public safety.

The bottom line…

The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 is a bill that is an extreme as it is dangerous, both for law enforcement and our communities. That’s why law enforcement officers across the country, from the International Association of Chiefs of Police to Major Cities Chiefs Association — in addition to gun owners — oppose the adoption of concealed carry reciprocity.

Learn more about the Gun Lobby’s Agenda

• Fact Sheet: Federally Mandated Concealed Carry
• Fact Sheet: Gutting Federal Regulation of Silencers
• Fact Sheet: Repealing the Gun Free School Zones Act

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About Us: Americans for Responsible Solutions and the Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence are committed to advancing commonsense change that makes communities safer from gun violence. We provide expertise in firearms litigation, lead grassroots coalitions, and educate the public on the proven solutions to America’s gun violence epidemic.