WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The House of Representatives has passed a law allowing gun owners to carry concealed weapons between states without having to worry about conflicting state laws.
It was the first major self-defense gun legislation that the House approved after a Connecticut school massacre five years ago.
The Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act was passed by a 231-198 vote with bipartisan support in the Republican-controlled Lower House.
The National Rifle Association, which has been lobbying for it for 30 years, applauded the passage of the Bill.
The bill, H.R. 38, ensures that those Americans who can legally carry a concealed firearm in one state will legally be able to do so in every other state. It eliminates the conflicting state laws that prevented gun owners from carrying a firearm in multiple states.
The bill also makes improvements to the national background check system. National Instant Criminal Background Check System, or NICS, helps states and government agencies to update it with legitimate records of prohibited persons.
Additionally, the bill creates an expedited process for removing records that are erroneously put in the system. Currently, when a person discovers they have been wrongly added to the NICS, it can take up to a year to get their name removed. This bill requires a response to an appeal within 60 days.
The measure will now go to the Senate, where it needs to be passed to become law.
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