[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 64 (Thursday, May 9, 1996)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E754]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




        ARMORED CAR INDUSTRY RECIPROCITY IMPROVEMENT ACT OF 1996

                                 ______


                           HON. ED WHITFIELD

                              of kentucky

                    in the house of representatives

                         Thursday, May 9, 1996

  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, today I am pleased to introduce the 
Armored Car Industry Reciprocity Improvement Act of 1996. This 
legislation represents a major improvement to legislation originally 
enacted in 1993 which provided reciprocity among the States for weapons 
licenses issued to armored car crews.
  Armored cars and their crews annually carry billions of dollars in 
currency, important documents, and other valuables. In fact, the 
Federal Government is one of the largest users of armored car services 
in the Nation, transporting hundreds of millions of dollars annually in 
currency, food stamps, and other negotiable documents. Because of the 
value of their cargo, armored cars remain a ripe target for crime and 
their crews must be armed to protect themselves and their cargo.
  In order to address the problems arising from differing requirements 
among the States for weapons licenses, the Congress passed the Armored 
Car Industry Reciprocity Act in 1993. This statute granted reciprocity 
for weapons among the States, so long as the issuing State met certain 
minimum training standards and required criminal background checks, 
much like a driver's license. While this act has improved the flow of 
interstate commerce by reducing the need for armored car crews to 
obtain licenses in every State in which they might conceivably operate, 
we have found certain problems in the original act which need to be 
addressed if the law is to have its full effect.
  The Armored Car Industry Reciprocity Improvement Act of 1996 makes 
several changes to the original act. It would:
  Grant reciprocity for the weapons license and all other necessary 
licenses so long as the armored car crew member has met all 
requirements in his or her primary State;
  Require FBI criminal background checks only for the granting of an 
initial license, and permits the State agency to use whatever means 
they deem best to check backgrounds for renewal applications; and
  Eliminate the requirement that renewal applications be reissued 
annually.
  These changes are primarily technical in nature, and result from the 
fact that, while the Congress was considering the original bill, many 
States changed their weapons licensing schemes.
  Nothing in this legislation would make it easier for a criminal to 
obtain a weapon or circumvent State or Federal gun control laws. It 
simply allows the brave men and women who serve as armored car crews to 
worry about their job--protecting valuable cargo--rather than worrying 
about various States' licensing requirements and paperwork.
  The original legislation was supported by groups as diverse as the 
National Rifle Association and the International Chiefs of Police, and 
groups such as Handgun Control International had no objection to its 
passage. Since these changes simply are designed to improve the 
functioning of the original act, it is my belief that we can expect 
similar support for this measure.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support this important 
legislation when it comes to the floor.

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