A new bill introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would give some military veterans and active-duty military members the ability to protect themselves from danger anywhere in the nation.
On April 20, Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-North Carolina, a former Army Special Forces officer, introduced the Special Operations Forces Concealed Carry Act, which would grant eligible veterans and active-duty personnel nationwide concealed-carry privileges, effectively overriding state-level restrictions that can differ significantly from one jurisdiction to another.
Supporters of the bill argue the measure would recognize military training and provide consistent legal protections for service members who travel or relocate. If enacted, the law would represent a significant expansion of gun-carry rights for service members and veterans, creating a new nationwide benefit not currently available to most civilians.
In a news release announcing the legislation, Rep. Harrigan, the bill’s author, said service members already undergo extensive firearms training as part of their military duties, making them uniquely qualified. The Law Enforcement Officers Safety Act (LEOSA) of 2004 currently allows certain retired or qualified former law enforcement officers and some military officers to carry concealed across all 50 states.
“Federal law already trusts retired police officers to carry concealed nationwide,” Harrigan said. “That makes sense. But it makes no sense that a retired SEAL or Green Beret, someone who spent a career mastering firearms under the most demanding conditions in the world, has no equivalent recognition under federal law.
“This bill fixes that. It does not create new rights or weaken any safeguard. It simply extends an existing, proven framework to the warriors who have earned it more than anyone.”
The measure spends several paragraphs defining what veterans and military members are covered under its protections, with several qualifying categories for the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marines.
As Harrigan pointed out, gun control advocates and anti-gun lawmakers have raised concerns in the past about expanding concealed-carry rights at the federal level. Some believe the measure could undermine state authority to regulate firearms and weaken local public safety standards.
In response to a similar bill last year, the gun-ban group Giffords said a national concealed-carry mandate carries inevitable safety risks.
“Law enforcement leaders across the nation agree,” the organization wrote on X. “A national concealed carry mandate is dangerous. We should not be forced to accept reciprocity with places where any buffoon who has a pulse gets to carry a gun.”
There’s little doubt that this measure will receive some pushback as it makes its way through the legislative process, likely even some from pro-gun lawmakers who might object to it not covering a wide enough swath of servicemembers and veterans. And while national concealed carry reciprocity should be the law of the land for all of us, not just military members and veterans, this measure is at least a move in the right direction.
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