STATEHOUSE (March 28, 2023) – State Rep. Craig Haggard’s (R-Mooresville) legislation to limit what information the federal government can request on lawful Hoosiers with handgun carry permits could soon be law.
House Enrolled Act 1323 shields lawful Hoosier carry permit holders’ background check information from being provided to the federal government upon request unless an individual is arrested for a crime or part of an active criminal investigation. Haggard said he authored the bill after learning about a letter the FBI sent to all county sheriffs’ offices in Missouri last year seeking to randomly audit their records on concealed carry handgun permit holders. The state already had a law on the books restricting what confidential information can be shared with the federal government. The sheriffs ultimately declined the FBI’s requests.
“There have been examples of federal agencies requesting personal information on citizens simply because they’re gun owners,” Haggard said. “Generally, local and state law enforcement agencies already have rules restricting what information they share unless it involves a crime or suspicion of one. This legislation would put those guardrails into law. The federal government should never target law-abiding Hoosiers for political reasons.”
In 2022, Indiana became a constitutional carry state, which means lawful residents can carry a handgun without a government-issued permit. Anyone who was prohibited from carrying a handgun prior to the law is still prohibited under the current law, and no changes were made to the requirements to purchase a firearm. Hoosiers can still choose to apply for a five-year or lifetime handgun carry permit from the Indiana State Police, which includes an application that asks for personal information and fingerprints.
Learn more about House Enrolled Act 1323 by visiting iga.in.gov.
