Armed Forces Carry Rights Protection Act of 2026

Key Points

• This bill creates a legal presumption that service members should be allowed to carry their personal firearms on military bases when they are off duty. Instead of needing special permission, carrying would become the default.
• If a service member is denied permission to carry, the military must give a written explanation with a specific, individual reason for the denial, rather than a blanket policy.
• The bill amends an existing law from the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act that already required the Defense Department to set up a process for service members to apply to carry personal firearms on base.
• The bill was introduced by Rep. Crank and referred to the House Armed Services Committee. It would need to pass both chambers of Congress and be signed into law before taking effect.