Isabella Carter
On February 1, 2024, the South Carolina Senate passed the 'Constitutional Carry' bill, which would allow individuals to carry handguns in public without a concealed weapons permit or training. The bill, which has been debated across the aisle for two years, now awaits concurrence in the House. If the House does not concur with the Senate's amendments, the legislation will likely fail for this session.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Vote | 1st February 2024 |
| Bill Number | 3594 |
| Bill Name | South Carolina Constitutional Carry/Second Amendment Preservation Act of 2024 |
| Bill Sponsor | Luke Rankin (R-Horry) |
| Bill Amendments | Removal of mandatory training; free gun training provided by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division; reduction of age to carry a concealed weapon from 21 to 18; increased penalties for carrying in prohibited places and for repeat gun offenders |
| Bill Supporters | Governor Henry McMaster; NRA; Senate Majority leader Shane Massey (R-Edgefield) |
| Bill Opponents | Amanda McDougald Scott, Chair of the Greenville County Democratic Party; police chiefs and officers from across South Carolina; Chief Dale Long of Conway, SC; Chief Jim Stewart of the South Carolina Police Chiefs Organization; Sen. Deon Tedder, D-Charleston; Sen. Ronnie Saab, D-Williamsburg |
| Next Steps | House must approve changes |
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What You'll Learn
The bill passed the Senate on February 1, 2024
On February 1, 2024, the South Carolina Senate passed the 'constitutional carry' bill on guns, also known as the 'permitless carry' bill. The bill passed with a 28-15 vote after nearly five days of debate. It was introduced in the Senate on February 28, 2023, and last amended on March 6, 2024.
The bill, officially named the "South Carolina Constitutional Carry/Second Amendment Preservation Act of 2024", allows all legal gun owners to carry their weapons publicly without a concealed weapons permit (CWP). It also removes the requirement for gun safety training, which was previously mandatory. The bill's supporters argue that it is about allowing everyday people to execute their constitutional right to bear arms.
However, the bill has faced opposition from Democrats and law enforcement officials due to safety concerns. They argue that the lack of mandatory training could create more problems and increase the danger to both law enforcement and citizens. Despite these concerns, the bill passed in the Senate with amendments that address some of the criticisms.
One notable amendment, proposed by Senator Margie Bright Matthews, will expunge all prior unlawful carry convictions upon successful application for expungement. Additionally, all pending charges of unlawful carry will be dismissed once the bill becomes law. Another amendment, proposed by Senate Majority Leader Shane Massey, offers free gun training overseen by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division at least twice a month in every county.
The bill now heads back to the House of Representatives, which passed its own version in 2023. The House can either agree with the Senate's changes and send the bill to the governor or work out a compromise. If the House does not concur with the amendments, the legislation is likely dead for this session.
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It is now awaiting a vote in the House
The South Carolina Senate passed the 'constitutional carry' bill on guns on 1 February 2024. The bill, which would allow individuals to carry handguns in public without a concealed weapons permit or training, is now awaiting a vote in the House.
The bill has been debated across the aisle for the last two years and was pre-filed in December 2022. It was introduced in the House on 10 January 2023 and in the Senate on 28 February 2023. The Senate included several amendments, including the expungement of prior unlawful carry convictions and the dismissal of all pending unlawful carry charges once the bill becomes law. The bill also lowers the age to carry a concealed weapon from 21 to 18.
The Senate's version of the bill differs from what the House passed in 2023. The House can either agree with the Senate's changes and send the bill to the governor or try to work out a compromise. If the House does not concur with the Senate amendments, the legislation is likely dead for this session.
The bill has faced opposition from police chiefs and officers, as well as Democrats, who have raised concerns about safety, training, and increased danger to law enforcement and citizens. However, supporters of the bill argue that it would give South Carolinians their "god-given right" to the Second Amendment.
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The bill would allow people to carry handguns in public without a concealed weapons permit
The South Carolina Senate passed the 'Constitutional Carry' bill on February 1, 2024, which would allow people to carry handguns in public without a concealed weapons permit. The bill, also known as the South Carolina Constitutional Carry/Second Amendment Preservation Act of 2024, was introduced in the House on January 10, 2023, and in the Senate on February 28, 2023. It was passed by the Senate in a 28-15 vote after nearly five days of debate.
The bill has been amended several times, including an amendment to offer free gun training overseen by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division at least twice a month in every county. Another amendment will expunge all prior unlawful carry convictions upon successful application for expungement, and dismiss all pending charges of unlawful carry once the bill becomes law. The bill also includes increased penalties for people who illegally carry guns, such as felons who are legally prohibited from doing so, and people who possess stolen guns.
One of the main points of contention surrounding the bill is the lack of mandatory training. Police chiefs and officers from across South Carolina, including the top officers in Conway and the South Carolina Police Chiefs Organization, testified against the bill due to the removal of the training requirement. They argued that this could compromise public safety. However, supporters of the bill argued that responsible gun owners would pursue training regardless of whether it was required by law.
The bill now heads back to the House of Representatives, which passed its own version of the bill in 2023. House members can either agree with the Senate's changes and send the bill to the governor, or they can try to work out a compromise. If the House does not concur with the Senate amendments, the legislation is likely dead for this session.
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It would also remove the requirement for training
The South Carolina Senate passed the 'constitutional carry' bill on February 1, 2024, which removes the requirement for training and permits for gun owners. The bill, also known as the South Carolina Constitutional Carry/Second Amendment Preservation Act of 2024, was passed in a 28-15 vote after nearly five days of debate. The bill allows all legal gun owners to carry firearms publicly without a concealed weapons permit (CWP).
The bill faced opposition from Democrats and law enforcement officers due to safety concerns and the lack of mandatory training. Despite these concerns, the bill's supporters argued that it would protect the Second Amendment rights of South Carolinians to bear arms. The bill also included amendments, such as expunging prior unlawful carry convictions and dismissing pending charges of unlawful carry.
One of the main points of contention was the removal of the training requirement for gun owners. Previously, under South Carolina state law enacted in 2021, individuals who wanted to openly carry handguns were required to complete training and obtain a CWP. The new bill removes this requirement, allowing adults to carry loaded guns without any training. This change sparked debate, with some arguing that education and training are critical for gun owners to ensure responsible and safe weapon handling.
To address these concerns, the Senate included an amendment proposing free gun training classes overseen by the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED). These classes would be offered at least twice a month in every county, providing optional training opportunities for gun owners. However, critics argue that removing the requirement may reduce the incentive to participate in training programs.
The bill, which has now passed the Senate, awaits concurrence by the House. If the House agrees with the Senate's amendments, the legislation will be sent to the governor for approval. With the passage of this bill, South Carolina joins other states in allowing carry without permits, becoming the 28th or 29th state to enact permitless/constitutional carry.
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The bill has been debated for two years
The bill has faced opposition from Democrats and police chiefs and officers from across South Carolina, who have raised concerns about safety, training, domestic violence, and the Charleston Loophole. They argue that the bill will create more problems and increase the danger to both law enforcement and everyday citizens, especially when gun violence is already high. Some Republicans have also expressed opposition to removing the training requirement.
However, supporters of the bill, including Governor Henry McMaster, argue that it will give South Carolinians their "god-given right" to the Second Amendment. They also believe that the bill will help close the "revolving door" on career repeat criminals by imposing stricter increased penalties for repeat illegal gun use and possession.
The bill now heads back to the House of Representatives, which passed its version last year. The House can either agree with the Senate's changes and send the bill to the governor or work out a compromise. If the House does not concur with the Senate amendments, the legislation is likely dead for this session.
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Frequently asked questions
The South Carolina Senate passed the Constitutional Carry bill on February 1, 2024. The bill will now head to the House for approval.
The Constitutional Carry bill, also known as House Bill 3594, is a law that would allow individuals to carry handguns publicly without the requirement to have a concealed weapons permit or training.
Under current law in South Carolina, anyone who can legally own a gun needs a concealed weapons permit, which requires training to carry it publicly.
The bill has been debated across party lines for the last two years. Proponents of the bill argue that it would give South Carolinians their ""god-given right"" to the second amendment. Opponents, including police chiefs and officers from across South Carolina, have raised concerns about public safety and the lack of mandatory training.
![Journal of the Senate of the State of South Carolina [serial]; Session of 1860](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71A7CFIF2uL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
