National Constitutional Carry Act

Key Points

• This bill would prohibit all states and local governments from imposing any criminal or civil penalty on U.S. citizens for carrying firearms in public, as long as those individuals are otherwise legally allowed to possess guns under state and federal law.
• Any existing state or local laws that criminalize, penalize, or discourage public carry of firearms — including permit fees, training requirements, or waiting periods — would be rendered void and unenforceable.
• The law would apply to nearly all public places, but private business owners can still ban guns on their property if they post clear and visible signs. Locations with security screening under state law are also excluded.
• The protections extend to both residents and visitors from other states, meaning a gun owner from any state could carry in any other state without needing that state's permit. The definition of 'firearm' includes the gun itself, ammunition, and magazines.
• The bill is introduced by Sen. Lee and grounded in recent Supreme Court rulings — Heller, McDonald, and Bruen — which affirmed the individual right to bear arms both at home and in public. Congress finds that some state gun laws are 'repugnant to the original meaning of the Second Amendment.'