House Republicans Pass Bill to Protect Veterans’ Second Amendment Rights

WASHINGTON
- House Republican Conference Chairwoman Lisa McClain (R-Mich.) and House Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Mike Bost (R-Ill.) applaud the passage of H.R. 1041, the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act. The legislation prevents the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) from stripping veterans of their Second Amendment rights solely because they require financial assistance in managing their benefits.

"It should go without saying that veterans should not be treated like second-class citizens simply because they need help managing their books - but under current law, they are," Chairwoman McClain said. "The brave men and women who defended our freedom should never have their constitutional rights stolen by unelected bureaucrats. Asking for help managing your benefits isn't a crime, and it shouldn't cost you your Second Amendment rights. We are putting an end to this weaponized overreach and restoring the due process our veterans earned."

"Tonight the House passed my Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act. No veteran should lose their Second Amendment rights simply because they need help managing their finances, but that is exactly what's been happening," Chairman Bost said. "Without a judge's ruling or any finding that a veteran is a danger to anyone, a VA bureaucrat could report them to the FBI's background check system and strip them of their right to bear arms. That is not how we treat the men and women who defended our Constitution. This bill puts a permanent end to that injustice, and as a Marine, proud gun owner, and Chairman of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, I could not be more proud to have led the charge for its passage."

The Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act prevents the VA from sending a veteran's information to the DOJ background check system based only on a fiduciary determination. It also requires the VA to notify the Attorney General when past referrals were made on that basis alone.