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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2013 - 2014
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | February 11, 2013 01:19 PM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Eli Evankovich |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Concealed Carry Permit Reciprocity |
| Article I, Section 21 of the Pennsylvania Constitution provides that : The right of the citizens to bear arms in defense of themselves and the State shall not be questioned. The Second Amendment to the United States Constitution states that: A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. These constitutional provisions recognize the inherent and fundamental right of citizens to defend themselves and their families. That right should not be infringed or diminished simply because one crosses state borders. Pennsylvania law provides that individuals who can pass a computerized background check, as well as an investigation of character and reputation by local law enforcement officials, may carry concealed firearms for defensive purposes. A Pennsylvania license to carry a firearm is currently recognized in a number of our sister states, however, certain provisions of the Uniform Firearms Act still stand as an obstacle to the full realization of this right. In the near future, I intend to introduce legislation to provide for mutual reciprocity for any state which recognizes the validity of a Pennsylvania license to carry a firearm. By cutting through the red tape and bureaucratic wrangling which surrounds the current reciprocity process, my legislation provides additional protection for law-abiding Pennsylvanians who travel outside the Commonwealth and affords that same protection to residents of other states who visit here. |
Introduced as HB829