Sens. Rounds, Thune Reintroduce Bill to Strengthen Military Families’ Right to Self-Protection

WASHINGTON—U.S. Sens. Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and John Thune (R-S.D.) today reintroduced legislation to allow military spouses to purchase handguns in the state where their husband or wife is permanently stationed for duty, or in a neighboring state if the military spouse commutes across state borders to their duty installation. Companion legislation to the Protect Our Military Families’ 2nd Amendment Rights Act was introduced last month by Rep. Blake Farenthold (R-Tex.) in the House of Representatives.

“Our military personnel and their families make incredible sacrifices to keep our country safe; allowing them to keep their families safe is the least we can do,” said Rounds. “Our legislation makes certain that the Second Amendment rights of military spouses are protected when they are stationed away from home.” 

“Our military families shouldn’t have to compromise their Second Amendment rights when their loved ones answer the call to serve,” said Thune. “They undertake significant burdens, like manning the home front during deployments, taking new jobs, frequent moves, and placing kids in new schools, but personal safety and security should never be among the sacrifices made by those who protect our rights and freedoms. The least we can do for our military families is to provide them with the opportunity for the protection they deserve.”

Current law restricts citizens from legally purchasing a handgun in any state other than the one in which they reside. An exception to this law was made for active duty service members who are on permanent duty station orders, so that they can be considered a resident of the state in which they are assigned. The Protect Our Military Families’ 2nd Amendment Rights Act extends that exemption to their spouses as well. Additional cosponsors include Sens. Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), James Lankford (R-Okla.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla).

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