(Editor’s Note: Little mix-up in our timing this week. The Judicial Report was published Monday and today we play catch-up with the Legislative Update.)
By Tanya Metaksa
What’s New—U.S. Senate has confirmed three more of President Trump’s cabinet nominees; U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (R-NC) has reintroduced the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (H.R. 38); Arizona: three Pro-Second Amendment Bills being considered; Kansas Committee working on three Pro-Second Amendment bills; Maine: Gov. Janet Mills not a fan of Bloomberg’s proposed referendum; New Hampshire: two anti-Second Amendment bills introduced; South Dakota: payment processor bill introduced; Utah: anti-Second Amendment Bill defeated; Virginia: many anti-Second Amendment Bills on the move.
President Trump’s Cabinet nominations
Three more Trump Cabinet Nominees have been approved as of Feb. 1. They are:
- Scott Bessent as Secretary of the Treasury
- Lee Zeldin as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
- Sean Duffy as Secretary of Transportation
U.S. Congress
U.S. Representative Richard Hudson (R-NC) has reintroduced the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (H.R. 38). Representative Hudson has introduced the Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act at least five times, in the years 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023, and 2025. This year, more than 120 of his colleagues are co-sponsors. If your Representative is not a sponsor, politely ask them to co-sponsor. This bipartisan bill will provide nationwide reciprocity for concealed carry license holders and residents of Constitutional Carry states.
All 50 state legislatures are in session in 2025
Many state legislatures allow the prefiling of bills before they begin their sessions.
States convening the week of January 6: Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, North Carolina, Oregon, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wyoming
Arizona: TheSenate Judiciary Committee and the Senate Public Safety Committee have passed three Colorado Pro-Second Amendment Bills. Before the full Senate can consider the bills, they are scheduled for a hearing before the Rules Committee. The bills are SB1014, removing suppressors that are possessed in compliance with federal, state, and local laws from the state list of prohibited weapons; SB1020, preventing governing boards of upper-level education from passing regulations that ban the carrying of firearms by Right-to-Carry Permittees; and SB1143, prohibiting payment processors from using firearm-specific merchant category codes for firearms, ammunition, and components.
Colorado: Although the Senate State, Veterans & Military Affairs Committee gave Senate Bill 25-003, a ban on semi-automatic firearms, a 3-2 approval vote on Jan. 31, the Senate postponed the vote on the Senate floor. You still have time to tell your Senator to vote NO.
Kansas: This week, the House Federal and State Affairs Committee will be working on three gun-related measures: HB2052, allowing provisional license holders to update to standard licenses upon reaching the age of 21 will be considered on Feb. 4; HCR5006, a proposed constitutional amendment to the Kansas constitution codifying that the Right to Bear Arms extends to ammunition and firearms accessories will be the subject of a hearing on February 5, 2025; and HB2104, a bill to standardize firearms safety education in the schools, will have a hearing on February 6, 2025.
Maine: On Jan. 28, Governor Janet Mills delivered her Budget Address. She discussed Maine’s so-called “Yellow Flag” law during the address. She stated: “Last week, advocates submitted signatures to force a referendum that would directly undermine our current law. Opponents of our current law argue: 1) that family members should be allowed to petition the court for removal of a weapon, not just law enforcement, and 2) that a mental health assessment is not necessary and that it stigmatizes people with mental health issues.”
It appears that Governor Mills does not favor Bloomberg’s referendum efforts.
New Hampshire: Two bills were heard in the House Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety: HB56 imposes a three-day waiting period before a purchaser may receive a purchased firearm, and HB352 seeks to ban the carrying of firearms at all polling places. No action has been taken on these two bills.
South Dakota: SB81, which prohibits payment processors from using firearm-specific merchant category codes for firearms, ammunition, and components, passed the Senate by a vote of 33-2. The bill will now move on to the House for consideration.
Utah: SB130, which includes 52 pages of proposals opposing the Second Amendment, was heard before the Senate Natural Resources Committee on Jan. 31. The motion to recommend it failed, so the bill will not proceed.
Virginia: The following bills have passed theHouse Public Safety Committee: HB1597, mandating the secure storage of firearms with penalties; HB1607, an “assault weapons” ban; HB2241, prohibits the possession or transportation of firearms, firearms, ammunition, stun weapons, explosives, or carrying concealed weapons by individuals convicted of a misdemeanor hate crime; and HB2631, a 5-day waiting period before purchase of a firearm. The following bills have passed the Senate: SB848 prohibits any person under the age of 21 from purchasing an “assault firearm”; SB880 prohibits carrying “assault firearms” in public areas; SB881 prohibits the purchase and transfer of plastic firearms, unserialized firearms; SB883, ads to the list of prohibited persons any person that receives a misdemeanor conviction for the offense of assault and battery against an intimate partner that occurred on or after July 1, 2025; SB891, institutes a five-day waiting period before the purchaser can get the firearm; SB938 second firearms offense increase penalty from 5 to 10 years; SB1134 penalty if minor or other prohibited person accesses a firearm; and SB1181, ban on “assault firearms”
