North Carolina Bill would Nullify Many Federal Gun Laws

North Carolina is the latest state to take a stand against federal gun control laws, as the Second Amendment Protection Act is now making its way through their State House.

House Bill 518 was introduced on Tuesday and is co-sponsored by an impressive 22 legislators with Reps. Jones, Holloway, R. Brown and Millis as the primary sponsors. It was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary on Wednesday where it awaits further action.

The bill states that “The North Carolina General Assembly finds that the right to keep and bear arms is a fundamental right. The North Carolina General Assembly affirms this right as a constitutionally protected right in this State… This Article applies to firearms, firearm accessories, and ammunition that are manufactured in North Carolina.”

The bill continues on to lay out rules to protect firearm and firearm accessories made in North Carolina saying, “A personal firearm, a firearm accessory, or ammunition that is manufactured commercially or privately in North Carolina and that remains exclusively within the borders of North Carolina is not subject to federal law, federal taxation, or federal regulation, including registration, under the authority of the United States Congress to regulate interstate commerce. It is declared by the North Carolina General Assembly that those items have not traveled in interstate commerce.”

To clarify any possible loopholes that the Feds may try to exploit within the law, the bill very specifically states, “The authority of the United States Congress to regulate interstate commerce in basic materials does not include authority to regulate firearms, firearms accessories, and ammunition made within North Carolina borders from those materials. Firearms accessories that are imported into North Carolina from another state and that are subject to federal regulation as being in interstate commerce do not subject a firearm to federal regulation under interstate commerce because the firearm accessory is attached to or used in conjunction with a firearm in North Carolina.”

Any member of the state government or federal government that refuses to act in concordance with this bill could be charged with a Class 1 misdemeanor. It would come into effect by Dec. 1 of this year should it pass.

ACTION ITEMS

To make sure that this bill makes it out of the House Committee on the Judicary, please contact the membership of that committee and politely urge them to pass HB 518. Their names and contact information are as follows:

Chairman Rep. John M. Blust (R)
Phone: 919-733-5781
Email: [email protected]

Vice Chairman Rep. Jacqueline Schaffer (R)
Phone: 919-733-5886
Email: [email protected]

Rep. Alma Adams (D)
Phone: 919-733-5902
Email: [email protected]

Rep. Dean Arp (R)
Phone: 919-715-3007
Email: [email protected]

Rep. Hugh Blackwell (R)
Phone: 919-733-5805
Email: [email protected]

Rep. Marcus Brandon (D)
Phone: 919-733-5825
Email: [email protected]

Rep. Justin Burr (R)
Phone: 919-733-5908
Email: [email protected]

Rep. Leo Daughtry (R)
Phone: 919-733-5605
Email: [email protected]

Rep. Larry D. Hall (D)
Phone: 919-733-5872
Email: [email protected]

Rep. Jon Hardister (R)
Phone: 919-733-5191
Email: [email protected]

Rep. Julia Howard (R)
Phone: 919-733-5904
Email: [email protected]

Rep. Darren Jackson (D)
Phone: 919-733-5974
Email: [email protected]

Rep. Allen McNeill (R)
Phone: 919-715-4946
Email: [email protected]

Rep. Deborah Ross (D)
Phone: 919-733-5773
Email: [email protected]

Rep. Bob Steinburg (R)
Phone: 919-733-0010
Email: [email protected]

LEGISLATION AND TRACKING

If you would like to see if your State House of Representatives or Senate has a similar bill to HB 518 up for consideration, please consult our legislative tracker which has all the up-to-date information about 2nd Amendment bills across the country!

If your state does not have any bill up within government to abate impending federal gun control laws, please urge your representatives to introduce the Tenth Amendment Center’s model legislation – the 2nd Amendment Preservation Act.