HJR 3: Encouraging Congress to pass the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act or a similar bill.
00 HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 3 01 Encouraging Congress to pass the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act or a similar bill. 02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 03 WHEREAS the Second Amendment to the Constitution of the United States provides 04 that "the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed"; and 05 WHEREAS the United States Supreme Court has a history of protecting the right of 06 individual citizens to bear arms as provided in the Second Amendment to the Constitution of 07 the United States; and 08 WHEREAS, in District of Columbia v. Heller, 554 U.S. 570 (2008), the United States 09 Supreme Court held that the Second Amendment protects an individual right to possess a 10 firearm unconnected with service in a militia, and to use that arm for traditionally lawful 11 purposes, such as self-defense within the home; and 12 WHEREAS art. I, sec. 19, of the Constitution of the State of Alaska provides that 13 "[t]he individual right to keep and bear arms shall not be denied or infringed by the State or a 14 political subdivision of the State"; and 15 WHEREAS, where it is legal to do so, a person who is 21 years of age or older and 16 who may legally possess a firearm may carry a firearm in the state without a concealed carry
01 permit; and 02 WHEREAS the state issues permits to carry a concealed handgun as provided in 03 AS 18.65.700 - 18.65.790; and 04 WHEREAS art. IV, sec. 1, of the Constitution of the United States provides that 05 every state shall give full faith and credit to the judicial proceedings and documents of every 06 other state and that Congress may determine how those documents will be recognized; and 07 WHEREAS, under art. IV, sec. 1, Constitution of the United States, states provide 08 reciprocity for legally issued driver's licenses from other states; and 09 WHEREAS states that issue concealed carry permits restrict eligibility to persons 10 who are eligible under federal and state laws to legally possess a firearm; and 11 WHEREAS states that issue concealed carry permits require the applicant to complete 12 a handgun competency course and display the applicant's ability and knowledge of related 13 responsibilities to legally operate a firearm; and 14 WHEREAS states that issue concealed carry permits require applicants to submit 15 fingerprints and pass a criminal background check; and 16 WHEREAS 19 states currently provide reciprocity for concealed carry permits issued 17 in other states; 18 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests that the 19 United States Congress pass legislation that amends the federal criminal code to allow an 20 individual qualified to carry or possess a concealed handgun in one state to carry or possess a 21 concealed handgun in another state that also allows individuals to carry concealed firearms; 22 and be it 23 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature encourages the United 24 States Congress to pass the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (H.R. 38) from the 117th 25 Congress or a similar bill; and be it 26 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature respectfully requests that 27 the President of the United States sign into law legislation passed by Congress that enacts the 28 Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (H.R. 38) from the 117th Congress or a similar bill. 29 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, President 30 of the United States; the Honorable Kamala D. Harris, Vice President of the United States and 31 President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Kevin McCarthy, Speaker of the U.S. House of
01 Representatives; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan Sullivan, U.S. 02 Senators, and the Honorable Mary Peltola, U.S. Representative, members of the Alaska 03 delegation in Congress.