H.R. 38 FAQs
Why It's Critically Important to Fix & Pass H.R. 38
Why fix and pass H.R. 38?
H.R. 38, the “Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act,” is unquestionably the GOP leadership’s front-runner on the issue of national carry legislation. And it has already passed through committee. But it has some serious problems that absolutely must be fixed. We’re doing our best to get those changes in place. But so far they have resisted our efforts to make the bill do what’s necessary to protect you from arrest and prosecution in anti-gun cities and states.
Weak, poorly drafted laws—like the "Safe Passage" provision of the Firearm Owners’ Protection Act (18 U.S.C. § 926A)—are ignored or misinterpreted by hostile courts and will leave gun owners unprotected. American gun owners cannot afford for Congress to make the same mistake with H.R. 38.
Tell Congress to fix and pass H.R. 38!
What changes does FPC want Congress to make in order to fix H.R. 38?
FPC has proposed changes to H.R. 38 to:
- Ensure peaceable people aren’t jailed for honest mistakes.
- Guarantee carry rights in non-secured public places nationwide.
- Ensure that people are fully protected while carrying and traveling with firearms.
Tell Congress to fix and pass H.R. 38!
I live in a “constitutional carry” (no-permit-required) state or have a “multi-state” license with state-level reciprocity. Why should I help fix and pass H.R 38?
The problem is federal law. While some states have – correctly – eliminated the need for carry permits, federal law makes it a crime to carry without one. But it’s really even worse than that. Not only does federal law require you to have a carry license to exercise your rights, but that license must be issued by the state in which you’re carrying.
18 U.S.C. § 922(q) is the federal “gun-free” school zone law that bans carry on and within 1,000 feet of a school – that is, unless “the individual possessing the firearm is licensed to do so by the State in which the school zone is located[.]” This isn’t a theoretical problem. People are being federally charged and prosecuted for carrying inside a school zone. Especially in a post-Bruen world, we have to repeal this.
Tell Congress to fix and pass H.R. 38!
What if we can’t get Congress to fix and pass H.R. 38?
Without quality national carry legislation, the world we’ll live in will be like having to maintain 51 driver’s licenses just to be able to drive around the United States – with one massive difference: We wouldn’t face jail, prison time, or lifetime loss of Second Amendment rights for driving without a license. Gun control advocates and anti-gun tyrants in states like California, New York, and Illinois will love that – they want to suppress your rights and see you in prison.
Unless we can get quality national carry legislation passed, you will have to pay for a carry license from every state you want to be able to exercise your rights in – 51 jurisdictions! That would also mean 51 renewal fees, 51 re-qualifications… The list of costs and burdens would go on and on.
Tell Congress to fix and pass H.R. 38!
Why is it so important to fix and pass H.R. 38 right now?
Your right to bear arms is a top FPC priority and protecting that right is one of the most important things to keeping Second Amendment rights protected into the future. The more people peaceably carrying every day – everywhere – the more our rights will be part of normal, everyday life throughout the United States.
But if Congress does not soon enact quality nation-wide carry legislation – with reciprocity and preemption – before the 2026 mid-term elections, then we may never see that in our lifetimes.
The difference between winning and losing this fight – and your ability to carry for self-defense where and how you choose – will come down to who wants it more: gun owners or gun controllers.
Tell Congress to fix and pass H.R. 38!
Why you can trust us.
We are a 501(c)4 nonprofit membership organization that exists to create a world of maximal human liberty, defend constitutional rights, advance individual liberty, and restore freedom. Our FPC Law program (FPCLaw.org) is the nation’s preeminent legal action initiative focused on restoring the right to keep and bear arms throughout the United States.
In fact, we have dozens of active lawsuits (many about these very issues), significant legal victories across the country, and the best right-to-carry litigators in the United States with comprehensive historical resources. All of our real-world experience gives us an unmatched perspective about how laws will be applied in real-life situations.
Our job is to help you peaceably exercise your rights when, where, and how you choose. But we aren’t asking you to take our word for it: Read the text of H.R. 38 for yourself and consider how anti-gun law enforcement and prosecutors in states like California, New York, New Jersey, and Illinois will find ways to make carry risky, difficult, or outright impossible for you—unless we fix and pass H.R. 38 together!
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