Bill Ensures 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, no rx 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.-[source]