00 Enrolled HJR 3 01 Encouraging Congress to pass the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act or a similar bill. 02 _______________ 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 the Alaska State Legislature supports police, troopers, and other law 17 enforcement officials; and 01 WHEREAS, where it is legal to do so, a person who may legally possess a concealed 02 firearm may carry a concealed firearm in the state without a concealed carry 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 records of every 07 other state and that Congress may determine how those records will be proved and the effect 08 of those records; and 09 WHEREAS, under art. IV, sec. 1, Constitution of the United States, states provide 10 reciprocity for legally issued driver's licenses from other states; and 11 WHEREAS states that issue concealed carry permits restrict eligibility to persons 12 who are eligible under federal and state laws to legally possess a firearm; and 13 WHEREAS states that issue concealed carry permits require the applicant to complete 14 a handgun competency course and display the applicant's ability and knowledge of related 15 responsibilities to legally operate a firearm; and 16 WHEREAS states that issue concealed carry permits require applicants to submit 17 fingerprints and pass a criminal background check; and 18 WHEREAS 38 states currently recognize valid Alaska concealed handgun permits; 19 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests that the 20 United States Congress pass legislation that determines the manner in which a concealed carry 21 permit issued by one state may be proven in another state, so that an individual in possession 22 of a valid permit may lawfully carry a concealed firearm in another state in the same manner, 23 and to the same degree, that an individual in possession of a valid concealed carry permit 24 from that other state may legally do so; and be it 25 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages the United 26 States Congress to pass a bill that accomplishes this, such as the Concealed Carry Reciprocity 27 Act (H.R. 38) from the 118th 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 passed by Congress that 30 accomplishes this, such as the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (H.R. 38) from the 118th 31 Congress or a similar bill. 01 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, President 02 of the United States; the Honorable Kamala D. Harris, Vice President of the United States and 03 President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Mike Johnson, Speaker of the U.S. House of 04 Representatives; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. 05 Senators, and the Honorable Mary Peltola, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska 06 delegation in Congress.