North Carolina: Your Help Needed to Repeal Unnecessary Requirement for Pistol Purchase Permit

NRA continues to work on repealing the anti-gun language state Representative Allen McNeill (R-78) had inserted into last year's omnibus pro-gun reform bill, H. 562.  As previously reported, Representative McNeill's language included a new requirement that anyone who applies for a Pistol Purchase Permit (PPP) must now sign a release to authorize access to mental health records to determine if t​he applicant is prohibited from purchasing a firearm due to a mental health disqualification.  NRA is stridently opposed to this unnecessary requirement, as a check for mental health disqualifiers was already a part of the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which was already part of the PPP application process.

This new requirement has led to unacceptable, and illegal, delays in the processing of PPP applications.  Reports indicate widespread problems in North Carolina, with Mecklenberg County taking upwards of four months to process applications that state law says must be approved or denied within 14 days. 

Unfortunately, although Representative McNeill appears to have acknowledged he made a mistake when including this new requirement, he also appears to refuse to allow the mistake to be corrected.  There are state Representatives who wish to correct this error, and remove the burden placed on law-abiding gun owners, but House Leadership needs to hear from NRA members to ensure this happens THIS YEAR.  Let them know that the problem created by Representative McNeill and the legislators who voted for the McNeill Amendment must be fixed.  There is no reason that the (presumably) careless error made by Representative McNeill should remain a burden on law-abiding gun owners in North Carolina.

In addition, some in the pro-gun community have chosen to compromise on this issue, and allow this problem to continue until at least next year.  NRA will not accept allowing burdens on law-abiding gun owners to continue any longer than necessary, simply because there may be an easier "solution."

Please contact Speaker Tim Moore's office and urge him to support NRA's effort to repeal the anti-gun, unnecessary requirement Representative McNeill added to the PPP application process.  Please also contact your state Representative and urge them to do the same.