House bill would allow concealed weapons on campus
By Emery Styron
The Missouri House of Representatives on April 8 gave first-round approval to a bill that would lower the age for concealed carry of firearms to 21, allow carrying of concealed firearms on college campuses and expand the Castle Doctrine.
Here’s a summary of the bill from the House website:
This substitute specifies that deadly force may be used against a
person who unlawfully enters, remains after unlawfully entering,
or attempts to unlawfully enter private property by the
individual who owns or leases the private property. The
individual who owns or leases the private property does not have
a duty to retreat from the property.
The minimum age requirement for obtaining a concealed carry
endorsement is lowered from 23 years of age to 21 years of age.
To process a change of address for a concealed carry endorsement,
the sheriff of the new jurisdiction may charge a fee of up to
$10. A sheriff may charge a fee of up to $10 to change the name
on an endorsement.
Antique firearms, as defined in 18 U.S.C. Section 921, are exempt
from the definition of “firearm” as it relates to weapon
offenses.
The substitute removes the provisions prohibiting a person with a
valid concealed carry endorsement or permit from carrying a
concealed firearm into any higher education institution.
Currently, political subdivisions are allowed to adopt ordinances
which regulate the open carrying of firearms if they conform to
state laws. The substitute, removes this authority and requires
political subdivisions to regulate firearms in the same manner as
the state by adopting ordinances consistent with the weapons
offenses in Sections 571.010 – 571.070, RSMo, and with the
justification defenses in Chapter 563, except that political
subdivisions are allowed to prohibit illegal immigrants from
selling, purchasing, transferring, owning, using, or possessing
firearms, components, or ammunition.
FISCAL NOTE: Estimated Cost on General Revenue Fund of $2,000 in
FY 2010, $0 in FY 2011, and $0 in FY 2012. No impact on Other
State Funds in FY 2010, FY 2011, and FY 2012.
The bill, HCS HB 668, was introducted by Dist. 117 Rep. Kenny Jones (R-Clarksburg) and is co-sponsored by 12 other representatives. You can follow the bill’s progress at the House Bill List on the House website.
