Attorney General Russell Coleman says he has joined a group of his counterparts around the country urging Congress to protect the rights of law-abiding Kentuckians to carry concealed firearms.

In a letter sent to U.S. House leadership and signed by 24 state attorneys general, Coleman is callings for the passage of the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (H.R. 38), which would establish nationwide reciprocity for concealed carry permit holders and residents of constitutional carry states.

"This one is just common sense,” Coleman stated. “Congress has the opportunity to bring clarity and consistency to a system that unfairly penalizes responsible gun owners simply for crossing state lines. As AG, husband & father, and lifetime member of the NRA, I am proud to stand up for law-abiding Kentuckians who want to protect their families while traveling.”

The federal legislation is aimed at supporting law-abiding gun owners and specifically excludes anyone prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm, including those convicted of felonies or other crimes like domestic violence. It also respects the authority of law enforcement to protect families from gun violence.

Last year, Coleman joined a 21-state coalition to file a lawsuit to block a federal rule that would have forced anyone selling a firearm, including private sales to family members, to register with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).

In 2019, Kentucky’s General Assembly passed legislation allowing any adult 21 or older who is legally permitted to possess a firearm to carry it concealed without a permit or license. The proposed legislation would extend that right beyond state lines, allowing Kentuckians to carry concealed firearms in other states without fear of violating local laws.

Coleman joined the letter, along with the attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Georgia, Iowa, Missouri, Alaska, Florida, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, New Hampshire, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Utah, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Carolina, Texas, West Virginia and Wyoming.