On Tuesday, Senate Republicans presented a bill which would revise current U.S. laws, making it a simpler process for those who want to conduct interstate travel with firearms. The makers of S.618 believe this bill would protect law abiding gun owners from the current complexities that are required by state and local laws.
“This bill safeguards our Second Amendment rights by strengthening federal protections for responsible gun owners traveling across state lines,” Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah said in a statement released Tuesday. “By amending the Firearms Owners’ Protection Act of 1986, this commonsense proposal puts an end to the harassment of upstanding citizens who happen to stay overnight, fuel up, or stop for an emergency during their travels in another state.”
Co-sponsors of the bill include Sen. Orrin Hatch, Texas Senators Ted Cruz and John Cornyn. If passed, the bill would permit anyone traveling while lawfully possessing a firearm, ammo or magazines to transport them anywhere in the country. Requirements would include that guns must not be loaded and if they are in a vehicle, they cannot be directly accessible to passengers. Carriers could not be arrested or detained if stopped by police even if they had violated laws against transporting a firearm in that jurisdiction.
Gun rights organizations and firearms industry trade groups fully support bill S.618 as they also believe that the move would protect gun owners from harassment and prosecution when traveling from one state to another.
“This legislation will restore the intent of Congress to protect law-abiding Americans who exercise their fundamental Second Amendment rights when they travel,” said Chris W. Cox, executive director of the National Rifle Association’s Institute for Legislative Action, according to Guns.com.
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