HARRISBURG – Rep. Aaron Bernstine (R-Beaver/Butler/Lawrence) announced today that his legislation which would no longer require law-abiding citizens to obtain a government-issued license to carry a concealed firearm in Pennsylvania passed the House Judiciary Committee.
Bernstine called the current concealed carry process a duplicative abuse of the constitutional rights of law-abiding gun owners.
“House Bill 659 defends the rights of the citizens in our Commonwealth,” said Bernstine. “Those Pennsylvanians who follow the law each day should not be punished or hindered if they choose to carry a firearm.”
Constitutional carry, or permitless carry, would provide a new system for concealed carrying of firearms for Pennsylvania’s citizens. The first level would no longer require law-abiding citizens to obtain a permit to carry a firearm concealed in the Commonwealth. It allows an individual over 21 years of age who has passed a criminal background check upon purchase of a firearm to legally carry a handgun concealed without first having to obtain government permission.
The second level provides citizens the ability to obtain an optional License to Carry a Firearm (LTCF) permit that is valid throughout Pennsylvania and would provide for carrying firearms in other states. Currently, 32 states eight recognize Pennsylvania’s LTCFs or a reciprocity agreement is in effect.
The bill’s passage from the House Judiciary Committee comes on the heels of new executive actions on gun control announced at the federal level.
“There is bipartisan support from my colleagues,” said Bernstine. “By removing the licensing requirement, it removes an artificial barrier to residents’ right to bear arms and ensures more Pennsylvanians have access to personal protection in public.”
House Bill 659 now moves to the full House of Representatives for consideration.
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