Dear Mr:

Thank you for taking the time to contact me about concealed carry legislation. I appreciate hearing from all Pennsylvanians about the issues that matter most to them.

Several bills and amendments relating to the carrying of concealed firearms have been introduced in the Senate during the 111th Congress by Senator John Thune. Specifically, he has introduced two bills, S. 371 and S. 845, both called the Respecting States Rights and Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2009. S. 845 would create national reciprocity so that permits to carry concealed firearms issued by any state would be recognized in any other state that allows individuals to carry concealed firearms.

Senator Thune also offered an amendment, Senate Amendment 1618, to S. 1390, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2010. S.A. 1618 would have created national reciprocity for concealed carry permits in a similar way to S. 845. As a supporter of the right of citizens to own firearms for self protection, I voted in favor of S.A. 1618, but the amendment did not get enough votes to pass.

Under the Thune Amendment, individuals who travel to other states would be required to follow the laws of the host state, including laws concerning specific types of locations in which firearms may or may not be carried.

Currently, there are over 500,000 people in Pennsylvania with permits, issued in Pennsylvania, to carry concealed weapons. The Commonwealth already has reciprocal agreements with 24 other states, which authorize people with permits from those other states to carry concealed weapons in Pennsylvania. For example, a Pennsylvania resident right now can obtain a non-resident concealed carry permit from Florida or Utah. This entitles that Pennsylvania resident to carry a concealed weapon in Pennsylvania without obtaining a Pennsylvania permit.

S. 371 and S. 845 are currently under review by the Committee on the Judiciary, of which I am not a member. Please be assured that I will continue to pay close attention to this issue and try to balance the right of citizens to own firearms with the need to protect those citizens.

As always, I appreciate your views, thoughts and concerns as they assist me in understanding what is important to the people of Pennsylvania. Please do not hesitate to contact me in the future about this or any other matter of importance to you.

If you have access to the Internet, I encourage you to visit my web site, http://casey.senate.gov. I invite you to use this online office as a comprehensive resource to stay up-to-date on my work in Washington, request assistance from my office or share with me your thoughts on the issues that matter most to you and to Pennsylvania.

Sincerely,
Bob Casey
United States Senator