Nearly half of state attorneys general have united in support of H.R. 38, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. This legislation would ensure that law-abiding citizens with concealed-carry permits can exercise their rights in other states and jurisdictions.
On May 21, 2025, state attorneys general from Alabama to Alaska sent a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) urging a floor vote and swift passage of the Act. The signatories, who all represent states that have adopted constitutional-carry laws, declared that “recognizing a broad right of concealed carry among law-abiding Americans promotes public safety and respects the fundamental liberties of our constituents.”
In the letter, the AGs push back on one of the chief objections to H.R. 38—that it intrudes upon “states’ rights.” The letter reads: “Citizens have rights, while governments have powers ... and no state has the power to violate the fundamental, enumerated rights of we the people.”
What H.R. 38 Would Do
Introduced by Rep. Richard Hudson (R-N.C.) on January 3, 2025, H.R. 38 proposes that individuals who are legally permitted to carry concealed firearms in their home states should be allowed to do so in any other states, but they still must adhere to local restrictions on concealed carry. This legislation would not override a state’s power to restrict who can carry; instead, it would ensure that states honor concealed-carry permits much the way they do with driver’s licenses.
Importantly, the bill specifies that individuals prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms will remain barred from carrying under this Act. (You can read the full bill and track its progress here.)
Public Safety: Facts vs. Fear
Critics of H.R. 38 often frame the bill as dangerous, suggesting it would lead to an increase in violence; however, empirical data suggests the opposite, as concealed handgun license holders are significantly less likely to commit crimes than the general population.
For example, in 2013, Texas CHL holders were convicted of crimes at a rate of 0.3%, compared to 4.5% for non-license holders. This supports the attorney general’s claim that lawful concealed carry enhances—not diminishes—public safety.
More broadly, studies summarized by John Lott, president of the Crime Prevention Research Center demonstrate that violent crime tends to decrease as the number of carry permits increases, particularly in states with constitutional-carry laws.
Constitutional Rights Across State Lines
Currently, a patchwork of state laws forces responsible gun owners to navigate a legal minefield when traveling. As North Carolina Rep. Richard Hudson notes, “Our Second Amendment right does not disappear when we cross invisible state lines. There should be no reason for an individual to become a criminal simply by moving from one state to another.”
Proponents of H.R. 38 argue that states should honor concealed carry permits just as they honor each other's marriages and driver's licenses through mutual recognition agreements.
Next Steps
As this is being written, the House Judiciary Committee had yet to mark up the bill. Still, with mounting pressure from state attorneys general, the NRA and Americans who value the U.S. Constitution, momentum is building.
For the more than 22 million concealed-carry permit holders, the call to pass H.R. 38 is about policy and principle. As the attorneys general illuminate, the Constitution does not end at state lines. Suppose Americans are to enjoy their Second Amendment rights fully. In that case, they must be able to carry those rights with them—safely, legally and responsibly—no matter where they travel in the United States.
By passing the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, Congress can right a longstanding wrong and reaffirm that the rights of law-abiding citizens shall not be infringed.
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