Weekly Spotlight 3/22/25 – 3/28/25
House Judiciary Committee to Hold Markup of National Concealed Carry Reciprocity Bill
Committee Markup Process Is a Watershed Moment in Fight to Expand Gun Rights, Adds to Growing Momentum in Washington
Next week, the U.S. House Judiciary Committee is slated to hold a markup of a slew of bills, including one to expand and protect gun rights for law-abiding Americans. H.R. 38, the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act, introduced by Representative Richard Hudson (NC-09), presents lawmakers with an opportunity to advance impactful legislation that will ensure law-abiding Americans can protect themselves wherever they are in the nation as well as provide greater consistency in clarifying the Constitutional rights of Americans crossing state lines.
The “markup” of a bill refers to the process where a legislative committee reviews, discusses, amends, and votes on a proposed bill. During markup sessions, committee members may propose changes, add provisions, or remove parts of the bill based on debate, feedback, and negotiations. If the committee approves the bill, it’s one step closer to the floor for a vote and, eventually, becoming law.
H.R. 38 calls for a concealed carry permit issued in one state to be recognized in other states that permit residents to carry, promoting uniformity across the country and empowering responsible gun owners to exercise their right to self-defense regardless of their location.
Since the bill’s introduction in early January, more than half a million Americans have signed a petition sponsored by the USCCA, urging their representatives in Washington to prioritize and help pass national reciprocity and underscoring broad support for the fundamental right to self-defense among the overwhelming majority of Americans.
It’s clear there is growing momentum in Washington, D.C. for gun rights. Already during his second term, President Donald Trump has taken action to protect the Second Amendment through an Executive Order that called for a review to roll back unconstitutional, anti-gun policies enacted by the Biden administration.
Additionally, earlier this month, the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance held a hearing entitled, “The Right to Self Defense,” to examine our fundamental right to self-defense, protected by the Second Amendment. The hearing featured testimony from David McDermott, Founding Partner at McDermott Law Group and a USCCA Network Attorney, who was invited to provide expert witness testimony before the subcommittee.
This is a watershed moment in the fight to expand and protect gun rights in America, and responsible gun owners nationwide are on the cusp of seeing meaningful progress. As efforts intensify to safeguard Second Amendment freedoms, this moment represents a critical turning point in ensuring that law-abiding citizens retain their right to bear arms while also promoting public safety. With key legislative developments unfolding, this is a time for advocates of responsible gun ownership to stand united and make their voices heard, reinforcing that the right to self-defense and personal freedom must be preserved.
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OTHER NEWS YOU MAY HAVE MISSED
The Firearms Blog (Arkansas): Arkansas Requiring Schools To Teach Firearms Safety
A while back, we speculated that there was something magical in the drinking water of Arkansas, as the state gets more and more based. Guess what, it’s happened again! Now, the state is requiring mandatory firearms safety classes for public schools starting this year. No doubt hoplophobes will decry this move as an attempt to militarize the state’s young people, but a careful reading of the HB1117 mentions no such silliness. Instead, it is quite openly an attempt to educate young people about firearms in order to prevent accidents.
California Globe: AB 1333 is Dead: Assemblyman Zbur Withdraws Bill Limiting Self-Defense
Assemblyman Rick Zbur (D-Los Angeles) announced late on Wednesday that he would be withdrawing his new self-defense limitation bill following significant public backlash and confusing language in the bill. Assembly Bill 1333, which was introduced last month, would have eliminated certain circumstances under which homicide is justifiable, including, among others, in defense of a habitation or property. The bill would have also additionally clarified circumstances in which homicide is not justifiable, including, among others, when a person uses more force than necessary to defend against a danger.
ABC News: AG Bondi Gets Extended Deadline To Recommend Killing Gun Control Policies: DOJ
The deadline quietly passed on Attorney General Pam Bondi delivering a report to President Donald Trump on whether any leftover Biden administration policies infringe on Americans’ right to bear arms. It came just days after Democratic leaders sent her a letter suggesting there is “plainly no need for any new plan of action.” Trump signed an executive order on Feb. 7 after making campaign promises to gun-rights groups like the National Rifle Association (NRA) that “no one will lay a finger on your firearms.”
The Truth About Guns: Lawmakers Pushing Commerce Secretary To Dump Biden Admin’s Gun Export Restriction
A group of 88 members of the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate are pushing to have the Biden Administration rule restricting firearm exports by law-abiding American manufacturers reversed, and they want it done now. On March 7, the lawmakers, led by Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, and House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green, R-Tennessee, sent a letter to Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick requesting reversal of the policy, which was part of the Biden Administration’s weaponized attack on gun owners, gun sellers and gun makers.