Legislation has been introduced in the Kentucky House that would allow 18- to 20-year-olds to carry a concealed firearm.
Rep. Savannah Maddox, R-Dry Ridge, is the primary sponsor of House Bill 312. She was joined by primary co-sponsor Rep. Josh Bray, R-Mount Vernon, to testify on the bill during Wednesday’s House Judiciary Committee meeting.
“Right now, in Kentucky, citizens who are 18, 19, or 20 years old can legally vote. They can sign contracts. They can join the military, serve in combat, start a family, own a business, and possess a firearm,” Maddox said. “Yet, currently under the law, these same adults are prohibited from carrying that same firearm concealed for self-defense.”
Under the proposed legislation, Kentucky State Police would be permitted to issue a provisional concealed carry firearm or other deadly weapons license to an 18- to 20-year-old.
Young adults would be required to undergo a background check and complete firearms training in order to qualify.
Maddox said HB 312 will “expand the ability of law-abiding citizens to exercise their constitutional rights to keep and bear arms.”
If passed, Kentucky would join 25 other states that allow law-abiding citizens between the ages of 18 and 20 to conceal carry a firearm for self-defense purposes, she added.
House Minority Caucus Chair Lindsey Burke, D-Lexington, voted “no” on HB 312 due to concerns over young adults using firearms in suicide.
“I’m not even thinking about accidents or using the firearm against someone else,” she said. “I think about the young people who go to college or trade school or out into the community, and they kill themselves. I don’t want these kids to have an easier time getting a gun.”
Rep. Nima Kulkarni, D-Louisville, also expressed concerns over young adults having access to firearms.
Maddox said the bill wouldn’t change access, only the ability for individuals to carry in a concealed manner.
Several other lawmakers shared they support the bill because it requires firearm safety training.
HB 312 advanced from the House Judiciary Committee by a 15-3 vote. It will now go before the full House for consideration.
Information from the Kentucky Legislative Research Commission.
