Senator Mike Rounds, US Senator for South Dakota | Official U.S. Senate headshot
Senator Mike Rounds, US Senator for South Dakota | Official U.S. Senate headshot
U.S. Senator Mike Rounds has introduced two bills aimed at enhancing Second Amendment rights for military families and full-time travelers. The proposed legislation includes the Traveler’s Gun Rights Act and the Protect Our Military Families’ 2nd Amendment Rights Act, both seeking amendments to the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA). These amendments would accommodate individuals with unique living situations, such as military spouses and those who use private mailboxes or post office boxes as their permanent addresses.
Senator Rounds emphasized his commitment to protecting lawful gun owners' rights, stating, "The laws currently on the books do not go far enough in acknowledging the unique living situations of many Americans, including military families and full-time travelers."
The Traveler’s Gun Rights Act aims to redefine "state of resident" and "residence" under the GCA to include private mailboxes and post office boxes. Currently, these addresses are recognized on driver’s licenses but not by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) for firearms transactions.
This bill is supported by several senators including John Boozman, Ted Budd, Kevin Cramer, Ted Cruz, John Hoeven, Cindy Hyde-Smith, James Lankford, Roger Marshall, and James Risch. Representative Dusty Johnson is leading companion legislation in the House. Johnson noted that gaps in address verification have prevented many servicemembers and military spouses from obtaining firearms.
Endorsements for this act come from organizations like the National Rifle Association (NRA) and the National Shooting Sports Foundation. John Commerford of NRA-ILA stated that active duty military members or full-time travelers should not be denied their rights due to bureaucratic forms. Lawrence G. Keane from the National Shooting Sports Foundation highlighted that this legislation addresses an overlooked problem affecting law-abiding citizens.
The Protect Our Military Families’ 2nd Amendment Rights Act seeks to amend federal criminal code to allow licensed dealers to sell or ship firearms to spouses of active-duty U.S. armed forces members. Current law only permits handgun purchases in a person’s state of residence without exceptions for military spouses.
This second bill is cosponsored by Senators Ted Budd, Shelley Moore Capito, Kevin Cramer, Ted Cruz, John Hoeven, Cindy Hyde-Smith, Jim Justice, James Risch, and Rick Scott. Senator Rounds first introduced this legislation in 2015 with subsequent reintroductions.
Both pieces of legislation aim to remove barriers faced by certain groups while maintaining safeguards against unlawful firearm possession.
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