US Reps. Don Young (R-AK) and Collin Peterson (D-MN) have introduced HR 697, The African Elephant Conservation and Legal Ivory Possession Act of 2015, that would reverse the recent US Fish and Wildlife Service – imposed ban on elephant trophies legally taken by American hunters in Zimbabwe and roll back and further halt constraints on the import and export of lawfully possessed ivory products, including musical instruments, firearms, and museum pieces that include ivory parts.
The Bipartisan Sportsmen’s Act of 2015, was introduced in the US Senate by Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). This legislation seeks to protect and enhance opportunities for recreational hunting, shooting and fishing. This bill includes the following provisions:
- Clarifies that ammunition, ammunition components, and fishing equipment are exempt from regulation by the EPA under the Toxic Substances Control Act.
- Gives law-abiding gun owners more access to carry firearms on land managed by the Army Corps of Engineers.
- Requires that 1.5% of the annual Land and Water Conservation Fund goes toward securing access for sportsmen to public lands that are currently either landlocked or otherwise significantly restricted.
- Makes more funds available to state fish and wildlife agencies for the development of shooting ranges.
- Allows bows to be transported across national park lands. Currently, only firearms can be legally transported, which poses a practical problem for bow hunters who want to legally hunt on Forest Service or Bureau of Land Management lands, but must cross National Park Service lands in order to do so.
HR 225, The Firearm Safety Act of 2015, introduced by Rep. Robin L. Kelly (D-IL), would amend the Consumer Product Safety Act to remove the firearms exclusion from regulation by the anti-gun Consumer Product Safety Commission, thereby permitting the CPSC to issue “safety standards” for them.
The Constitutional Concealed Carry Reciprocity Act (interstate reciprocity of CCW licenses) has again been introduced in the US Senate by Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). It would require that your CCW license function similar to your driver’s license in other states.
Concealed carry is allowed in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, but to varying degrees. Most states require a permit.
Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) has introduced S. 477, which would de-fund Operation Choke Point, permanently. It would insure that the FDIC didn’t use “fees” to fund a program which could no longer go on with appropriated funds, and it would prohibit Eric Holder and the FDIC from reestablishing “Choke Point” under another name.
