Vicky Hartzler: “Today I rise in support of H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. This bill, which reaffirms the Second Amendment…”

“Today I rise in support of H.R. 38, the Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act. This bill, which reaffirms the Second Amendment rights of all law- abiding citizens to keep and bear arms in every State, includes a provision I introduced earlier this year as the Police Officers Protecting Children Act. My provision would help protect our children from school shootings and empower local law enforcement to respond rapidly in the case of an emergency. As many of you who represent rural areas know, in these sparsely populated regions, our local law enforcement is stretched thin. My bill would amend the Gun-Free School Zones Act to allow school boards to permit off-duty and retired police officers to carry their firearms on school campuses so they can respond quickly in the event of a crisis. The legislation would expand the reach of local police officers, decrease emergency response time, and put more choice back in the hands of our local school districts. It is a win-win-win. As we have learned over and over, localities are much better equipped to know what works for their district rather than the Federal Government. In fact, the idea of my bill came from a constituent who is a retired police officer and served his community for 30 years. This gentleman came to me because he wasn't allowed to use his weapon to protect his grandchildren at school even though he had decades of experience and continued to pass an annual recertification test.…”