Georgia Legislative Update by Independent Program Attorney Matt Kilgo:
There were some significant changes in the law for Weapons Carry License holders and for firearms owners in general in Georgia in 2017. (Transcript continues below video.)
In this Georgia legislative update, we’re going to look at two specific House Bills: House Bill 280 and House Bill 292, both of which were signed by Governor Deal and both of which went into effect July 1st.
Now House Bill 280 is what we call the Campus Carry bill. This bill applied to Georgia’s public colleges and universities—not private schools—public colleges and universities, but does allow for lawful Weapons Carry License holders to carry concealed handguns onto certain areas and spaces of Georgia’s public colleges and universities.
Very important thing to remember in this Georgia legislative update:
• Only public colleges and universities.
• You must have a Weapons Carry license.
• It must be a concealed handgun.
There are certain places you can’t go; no sporting events, no stadiums, no gyms, no sporting events or areas where sporting events are held. No student housing, no dormitories, and no fraternity houses. You can’t carry in any of those locations.
No rooms or spaces where disciplinary proceedings are held, no rooms or spaces where administrative offices are, no rooms or spaces where high schoolers take classes, and no rooms or spaces where child care is provided. But other than that, there’s a lot of open places where you can carry to protect yourself. That’s House Bill 280.
Now House Bill 292 is the other bill in this Georgia legislative update that changed many facets of Georgia’s weapons carry law. To begin with, financial institutions are barred from prohibiting transactions with businesses that deal with firearms or from discriminating against businesses that handle firearms or they have a business involving firearms. So businesses that involve firearms—can’t discriminate against them.
That’s number one.
Number two, whereas before the change in the law, you could only carry a knife with a blade of five inches or less without a weapons carry license, the law was changed beginning July 1st. Now you can carry a knife with a blade of 12 inches or less.
The law revised multiple aspects of reciprocity law, allows for easier reciprocity and recognition of reciprocity with other states. And it also requires the Georgia attorney general to maintain a public list of states that we have reciprocity with.
So, in this Georgia legislative update, there are many good changes in the law for Georgia citizens. Be sure to look those two up: House Bill 280 and House Bill 292.
Concealed Carry Now Legal at Georgia’s Public Universities and Colleges
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