Training requirement proposed for Georgia carry license

Four Georgia lawmakers have sponsored a bill in the Georgia House that would require applicants to complete a mandatory training program before applying for a state handgun carry license or a license renewal.

The text of  HB 735 says, in part:

(2) Any applicant seeking a weapons carry license on or after July 1, 2012, shall
demonstrate completion of a firearms safety training course within one year of the date of the application for a license under this Code section. An applicant may satisfy such training requirement by submitting proof that he or she:
(A) Is a peace officer, as such term is defined in Code Section 16-1-3;
(B) Is serving on active duty with the United States armed forces;
(C) Is serving in the active reserve component of the United States armed forces or
Georgia National Guard;
(D) Is a weapons training instructor licensed by the Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security Agencies; or
(E) Has completed a four-hour firearms safety training course from either a weapons
training instructor licensed by the Georgia Board of Private Detective and Security
Agencies or a peace officer who is currently certified under Chapter 8 of Title 35, the
'Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Act.' Such course shall include
instruction on the features of a firearm and a brief explanation of loading, firing, and
unloading the firearm. Proof of completion of such course shall be a notarized affidavit signed by the person providing the instruction with his or her address, position, and training instructor license number or badge number.
(3) Any license holder who possesses a weapons carry license on June 30, 2012, shall be exempt from the training requirement set forth in paragraph (2) of this subsection until such time as he or she applies to renew such license."

The sponsors of the bill are Rep. Roger Bruce of Atlanta, Gloria Frazier of Hephzibah, Howard Mosby of Atlanta, and Stephanie Benfield of Atlanta. All are Democrats.


HB 735 seems to run counter to another bill that's sponsored by five Republicans. HB 679, the proposed Constitutional Carry Act of 2012, would drop the requirement of a state license for persons who chose to lawfully carry a firearm. 

HB 679 says, in part:

(1) Our founding fathers, in the unanimous Declaration of the 13 United States of America, acknowledged that the purpose of civil government is to secure God-given rights;(2) As such, civil governments are to punish the criminal acts that deprive their citizens of their God-given rights to life, liberty, and property;(3) The mere potential to deprive someone of life, liberty, or property should never be considered a crime in a free and just society;(4) Evil resides in the heart of the individual, not in material objects; and
(5) Since objects or "instrumentalities" in and of themselves are not dangerous or evil, in a free and just society, the civil government should not ban or restrict their possession or use.

There's probably no chance of it, but what if both bills passed? The training requirement would likely open  doors for additional states to honor Georgia's carry licenses. Currently, some states that require training don't give Georgia reciprocity because Georgia doesn't require mandatory training. If Constitutional Carry was to pass, Georgia licenses would be optional in-state. If a Georgia resident didn't want to take training, presumably with Constitutional Carrry, residents could still lawfully carry a gun in-state without a license.