Inhofe bill would ensure off-base gun rights - Army News | News from Afghanistan & Iraq - Army Times

Inhofe bill would ensure off-base gun rights

Ownership and carrying of guns by people living and working on U.S. military bases could end up part of next week’s debate in a Senate committee on the $760 billion defense policy bill.

Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, introduced a bill Thursday that addresses one of the issues raised after the November 2009 shooting at Fort Hood, Texas, the possibility of stricter rules about gun ownership on military bases.

Inhofe’s bill, which he calls the Servicemember Second Amendment Protection Act, would prevent the Defense Department from imposing any firearm registration restrictions unless a weapon is being stored on military property. It also would roll back any changes that took effect since the Nov. 5 shooting at Fort Hood.

His bill would not prevent the military from prohibiting people from carrying personal weapons or ammunition on installations, but it would not allow the military to set rules for Defense Department personnel who own or carry firearms when off base.

In a statement, Inhofe said military control over service members and defense civilians has gone too far as a result of the shootings allegedly carried out in November by Army Maj. Nidal M. Hasan, using personal weapons that he brought on post. Hasan has been charged with multiple counts of aggravated murder and attempted aggravated murder.

“Punishing law-abiding citizens who work at military installations and honorably serving members of our military by violating their Second Amendment rights is not an acceptable approach,” Inhofe said in the statement. “Adding more gun ownership regulations on top of existing state and federal law does not address the problems associated with Hasan’s case, nor will gun ownership over-regulation prevent similar heinous attacks in the future.”

Part of the reason for concern about gun ownership for service members is that an independent review that looked at the Fort Hood shootings recommending more study of the Defense Department’s policies on private firearms.

Inhofe will have the opportunity next week to try to get his bill, S 3388, attached as an amendment to the 2011 defense authorization bill that the armed services committee will be writing. He also could offer it as an amendment to the bill later this year when the measure comes to the Senate floor.

DISCUSS: Gun laws