Congress Passes Bill Allowing Guns in National Parks
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Congress Passes Bill Allowing Guns in National Parks





Complex legislative games in Washington, DC led to the passage of a bill that clarifies that gun owners won’t risk accidentally breaking federal law by simply having their firearms loaded when they are in national parks.

The Department of the Interior under former President Bush had announced in December 2008 new rules allowing holders of state issued concealed carry permits to take firearms into most of the nation’s national parks and wildlife refuges. The regulations included all states in which citizens are allowed to carry a concealed weapon.

However, in March, a federal judge blocked the policy and the new Obama administration accepted the court ruling indicating the Department of the Interior would reexamine it.

The legislative language that reinstated the Bush policy was initially added by U.S. Senator Tom Coburn (R- Ok) to a major piece of legislation concerning revisions to credit card laws. That bill passed on May 19.

The action then went over to the U.S. House of Representatives on May 20. Though there are many more anti-gun legislators in the U.S. House than the Senate, the urgency of passing the credit card bill led to the inclusion of the gun language in the final version. President Obama is expected to sign the bill shortly.

For the 25 years prior to the Bush administration change, firearms were prohibited in national parks unless they were unloaded and not easily accessible. Currently, only two states, Illinois and Wisconsin, do not have some form of concealed carry permit.

“No longer will sportsmen get tangled in a ridiculous web of legal problems merely because they are exercising their Second Amendment rights when in the nation’s parks,” said Bud Pidgeon, USSA president and CEO.
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