00                        HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 4                                                                     
01 Encouraging Congress to pass the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 or a similar                                   
02 bill.                                                                                                                   
03 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
04       WHEREAS the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States provides                                  
05 that "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"; and                                       
06       WHEREAS the United States Supreme Court has a history of protecting the right of                                
07 individual citizens to bear arms as provided in the Second Amendment to the Constitution of                             
08 the United States; and                                                                                                  
09       WHEREAS, in District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), the United States                            
10 Supreme Court held that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a                                  
11 firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful                             
12 purposes, such as self-defense within the home; and                                                                     
13       WHEREAS art. I, sec. 19, of the Constitution of the State of Alaska provides that                               
14 "[t]he individual right to keep and bear arms shall not be denied or infringed by the State or a                        
15 political subdivision of the State"; and                                                                                
16       WHEREAS, where it is legal to do so, a person who is 21 years of age or older and                               
01 who may legally possess a firearm may carry a firearm in the state without a concealed carry                            
02 permit; and                                                                                                             
03       WHEREAS the state issues permits to carry a concealed handgun as provided in                                    
04 AS 18.65.700 - 18.65.790; and                                                                                           
05       WHEREAS art. IV, sec. 1, of the Constitution of the United States provides that                                 
06 every state shall give full faith and credit to the judicial proceedings and documents of every                         
07 other state and that Congress may determine how those documents will be recognized; and                                 
08       WHEREAS, under art. IV, sec. 1, of the Constitution of the United States, states                                
09 provide reciprocity for legally issued driver's licenses from other states; and                                         
10 WHEREAS states that issue concealed carry permits restrict eligibility to persons                                     
11 who are eligible under federal and state laws to legally possess a firearm; and                                         
12 WHEREAS states that issue concealed carry permits require the applicant to complete                                   
13 a handgun competency course and display the applicant's ability and knowledge of related                                
14 responsibilities to legally operate a firearm; and                                                                      
15 WHEREAS states that issue concealed carry permits require applicants to submit                                        
16 fingerprints and pass a criminal background check; and                                                                  
17 WHEREAS 19 states currently provide reciprocity for concealed carry permits issued                                    
18 in other states;                                                                                                        
19 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests that the                                       
20 United States Congress pass legislation that amends the federal criminal code to allow an                               
21 individual qualified to carry or possess a concealed handgun in one state to carry or possess a                         
22 concealed handgun in another state that also allows individuals to carry concealed firearms;                            
23 and be it                                                                                                               
24 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages the United                                              
25 States Congress to pass the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 (H.R. 38) or the                                    
26 Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of 2017 (S. 446), both from the 115th                                    
27 Congress, or a similar bill; and be it                                                                                  
28 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests that                                         
29 the President of the United States sign into law legislation that enacts the Concealed Carry                            
30 Reciprocity Act of 2017 (H.R. 38) or the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act of                              
31 2017 (S. 446), both from the 115th Congress, or a similar bill if Congress passes the                                   
01 legislation.                                                                                                            
02 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Donald J. Trump, President                                   
03 of the United States; the Honorable Michael R. Pence, Vice President of the United States and                           
04 President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the U.S. House of                                  
05 Representatives; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S.                                  
06 Senators, and the Honorable Don Young, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska                                       
07 delegation in Congress.