FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
January 9, 2025
Washington, D.C. – Today, GOA-backed legislation was introduced in both chambers of Congress that would grant national reciprocity to concealed carry permit holders and to residents of Constitutional Carry states who cross state lines. This policy would gut the ability of anti-gun states to restrict residents and non-residents alike from carrying firearms for their personal defense. The GOA-backed bills H.R. 38 and S. 65 were filed by Congressman Richard Hudson of North Carolina and Senator John Cornyn of Texas respectively.
Aidan Johnston, GOA’s Director of Federal Affairs, issued the following statement:
“Congress has the opportunity to deliver the greatest legislative victory for the gun rights movement in a century, and President Trump has already voiced his support. With all 50 states now issuing concealed carry permits, 49 states allowing nonresident carry, and 29 states with permitless or Constitutional Carry, it is simply common sense for Congress to ensure that each state’s concealed carry license is valid in every other state.
“We thank President Trump for his leadership on this issue and urge Congress to swiftly send Sen. Cornyn’s and Rep. Hudson’s Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act to the President’s desk to be signed.”
Erich Pratt, GOA’s Senior Vice President, added:
“GOA has been fighting anti-gun states in the courts for years on this issue. In New York, we recently teamed up with Newsmax’s Carl Higbie to sue the state over its blanket ban on issuing permits to non-residents, and we were recently part of a lawsuit to force California to issue concealed carry permits to non-California residents as well.
“While GOA has so far been successful in moving the needle on the availability of out-of-state permits, many Americans still face daunting hurdles, and national reciprocity can drastically simplify everything. No longer would anti-gun jurisdictions like Hawaii be able to use archaic and discriminatory bans to bar non-residents from carrying. We urge Congress to quickly pass this Second Amendment-affirming legislation.”
GOA spokesmen are available for interviews. Gun Owners of America is a nonprofit grassroots lobbying organization dedicated to protecting the right to keep and bear arms without compromise. GOA represents over two million members and activists. For more information, visit GOA’s Press Center.
-GOA-
