WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) joined Judiciary Committee member John Kennedy (R-La.) and 15 Republican colleagues in introducing the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act. This bill would permanently end onerous reporting requirements that cause veterans who receive help managing their Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits to be stripped of their Second Amendment rights without due process. Rep. Mike Bost (R-Ill.), Chairman of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, leads companion legislation in the House of Representatives.
“I take the constitutional right to bear arms very seriously. Our bill would preserve due process for veterans and put a stop to unelected bureaucrats unjustifiably stripping away the Second Amendment rights of those who’ve served,” Grassley said.
“Our veterans should not receive less due process rights than other Americans just because they served our country and asked the federal government for a helping hand. Under the VA’s interpretation of the law, however, unelected bureaucrats punish Louisiana and America’s veterans by forcing them to choose between their Second Amendment rights and getting the help they need as they manage their financial affairs. I’m proud to introduce the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act to stand up for veterans’ constitutional rights by ending this unfair practice,” Kennedy said.
The Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act is endorsed by the National Rifle Association, the Gun Owners of America, AMAC Action, Vietnam Veterans of America, the National Association of County Veterans Service Officers, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Black Veterans Empowerment Council, the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the National Shooting Sports Foundation, Turning Point Action, the Firearms Regulatory Accountability Coalition, the National Disability Rights Network and the National Association for Gun Rights.
Find bill text HERE.
Background:
Under current law, any veteran who appoints a fiduciary to help manage their VA benefits is immediately reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), restricting their Second Amendment right to legally purchase and own a firearm. The Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act would end this practice by prohibiting the VA from transmitting veterans’ personal information to NICS unless there is a judicial determination that the individual is a danger to themselves or others.
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