A new bill was introduced that will protect the 2nd Amendment rights of those who are renting property.
Iowa Representative Randy Feenstra introduced the Preserving Rights Of Tenants by Ensuring Compliant To (PROTECT) the Second Amendment Act in order to protect renters from landlords that would otherwise trample on their Second Amendment rights.
As reported in the Iowa Torch:
WASHINGTON – On Monday, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra, R-Iowa, introduced the Preserving Rights Of Tenants by Ensuring Compliance To (PROTECT) the Second Amendment Act. The proposal seeks to uphold the Second Amendment rights of tenants, specifically those living in residences that receive financial assistance from the federal government, by ensuring those landlords and rental property managers cannot lawfully restrict firearm ownership.
“No tenant should have to sacrifice their constitutional right to bear arms due to their income level or the type of housing they inhabit,” Rep. Feenstra said. “Unfortunately, in some cases, landlords are able to place restrictions on tenants that infringe on their fundamental right to self-protection. My PROTECT the Second Amendment Act will put a stop to this and uphold Second Amendment rights for all federally-assisted tenants. As a strong defender of the Second Amendment, I will continue supporting any efforts that get rid of unlawful or unnecessary obstacles to owning a firearm.”
The PROTECT the Second Amendment Act is supported by the National Rifle Association (NRA).
It has also received support from 39 original cosponsors in the House, including Republican U.S. Reps. Rick Allen of Georgia, Brian Babin of Texas, Don Bacon of Nebraska, Jim Baird of Indiana, Kat Cammack of Florida, Madison Cawthorn of North Carolina, Ben Cline of Virginia, Andrew Clyde of Georgia, Rick Crawford of Arkansas, Warren Davidson of Ohio, Jeff Duncan of South Carolina, Scott Franklin of Florida, Bob Gibbs of Ohio, Andy Harris or Maryland, Diana Harshbarger of Tenneseee, Ashley Hinson of Iowa, Richard Hudson of North Carolina, Ronny Jackson of Texas, Chris Jacobs of New York, Doug LaMalfa of California, Doug Lamborn of Colorado, Jake LaTurner of Kansas, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, Tracey Mann of Kansas, David McKinley of West Virginia, Dan Meuser of Pennsylvania, Mary Miller of Illinois, Marianette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, John Moolenaar of Michigan, Alex Mooney of West Virginia, Ralph Norman of South Carolina, Scott Perry of Pennsylvania, John Rose of Tennessee, Jason Smith of Missouri, Thomas Tiffany of Wisconsin, Beth Van Duyne of Texas, Tim Walberg of Michigan, Randy Weber of Texas, and Joe Wilson of South Carolina.
Legislation like this is extremely important as more and more Americans move to renting property as opposed to owning it. This also sets the stage for some major reforms in big cities where citizens arguably have the greatest need for a firearm. It would be a pointless venture to overturn some aspects of New York gun control if property owners were to just prevent tenants from keeping a gun with them.
