A Republican bill with 4 Republican cosponsors · See all 4 cosponsors
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The National Constitutional Carry Act aims to enforce Second and Fourteenth Amendment rights against the States. It seeks to prevent States and their political subdivisions from imposing criminal or civil penalties on the public carrying of firearms. The bill would make certain state and local laws regarding firearm carry have no force or effect if they criminalize or dissuade such actions. It expands the definition of a firearm to include ammunition and ammunition feeding devices. Additionally, the bill defines "public" spaces to include places held open to the public, unless a private owner communicates a prohibition.
Yes
- Scored +10
Would gun owners be better off under this?
The bill explicitly protects the right of citizens to carry firearms and ammunition in public spaces without facing state penalties.
- Scored +9
Does this protect the right to own guns?
The bill establishes a national standard that prevents states from imposing criminal or civil penalties on the public carrying of firearms and ammunition.
- Scored +7
Does this give the federal government more power?
The bill uses federal authority to invalidate state and local statutes regarding the carrying of firearms.
The opposite
- Scored -8
Does this put more limits on buying or owning guns?
The bill proactively prevents states and local subdivisions from enforcing gun control laws that regulate or criminalize public firearm carry.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Protection of carrying rights: Residents and nonresidents who are U.S. citizens and eligible to possess firearms would be prohibited from facing criminal or civil penalties for carrying firearms in public (Section 3(a)).
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Removal of legal barriers: The bill would invalidate any state or local statute, ordinance, or regulation that criminalizes or indirectly dissuassuades the carrying of firearms, including those that impose financial barriers (Section 3(b)).
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Broadened definition of firearms: The definition of a firearm is expanded to explicitly include ammunition and ammunition feeding devices (Section 3(c)(1)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Limitations on private property rights: While the bill covers places held open to the public, the definition of "public" excludes places where a private owner communicates a prohibition of firearms on the premises, though it also defines "public" as including places held open to the public regardless of ownership (Section 3(c)(2)(A)).
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Exclusions for security screening: The definition of "public" does not include places where screening for firearms is conducted under State law (Section 3(c)(2)(B)).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would gun owners be better off under this? — The bill explicitly protects the right of citizens to carry firearms and ammunition in public spaces without facing state penalties.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill uses federal authority to invalidate state and local statutes regarding the carrying of firearms.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this protect the right to own guns? — The bill establishes a national standard that prevents states from imposing criminal or civil penalties on the public carrying of firearms and ammunition. Does this put more limits on buying or owning guns? — The bill proactively prevents states and local subdivisions from enforcing gun control laws that regulate or criminalize public firearm carry.
- 11/10/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/24/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/18/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/12/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 3/5/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in Senate
John BarrassoRepublican · Wyoming
Steve DainesRepublican · Montana
Rand PaulRepublican · Kentucky
James RischRepublican · Idaho