Bill Introduced to Further Regulate Georgia Right-to-Carry

On January 13, state Representative Roger Bruce (D-64) introduced legislation that would undermine Georgia's Right-to-Carry law.  House Bill 735 would amend the current carry law by mandating a firearms safety training course within one year of application for Georgia Firearm Permit.  

HB 735 would require those applying for a Georgia weapons carry license for the first time, as well as those renewing their current license, to complete a four-hour firearms safety training course from either a weapons training instructor licensed by the Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies or a peace officer.  

There are currently nine states that do not require firearms training to receive a permit to carry a concealed firearm and twenty additional states who allow its citizens to carry firearms in public, concealed or openly, without a permit being required.  Not one of these 29 states is experiencing problems.  If there were problems, at least one state through all of the years would have amended its law to require training. In light of this long standing and well-tested rule of responsibility set by the citizens of these other states, there is no valid reason for Georgia’s legislators to believe that their constituents will prove to be the exception. 

The National Rifle Association is the world’s largest firearms safety and proficiency training organization but it trusts citizens to assume this responsibility on their own.  The government should not deem it necessary to micromanage the citizen exercise of essential rights.  This is not the American way. 

HB 735 has been referred to the state House Judiciary Non-Civil Committee for further review.  Please contact members of this committee and urge them to oppose HB 735.  Contact information can be found here.