[Congressional Record Volume 143, Number 22 (Wednesday, February 26, 1997)]
[House]
[Pages H634-H636]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




               ARMORED CAR RECIPROCITY AMENDMENTS OF 1997

  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (H.R. 624) to amend the Armored Car Industry Reciprocity Act of 
1993 to clarify certain requirements and to improve the flow of 
interstate commerce.
  The Clerk read as follows:

                                H.R. 624

       Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of 
     the United States of America in Congress assembled,

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Armored Car Reciprocity 
     Amendments of 1997''.

     SEC. 2. CLARIFICATION OF STATE RECIPROCITY OF WEAPONS 
                   LICENSES ISSUED TO ARMORED CAR COMPANY CREW 
                   MEMBERS.

       (a) In General.--Section 3(a) of the Armored Car Industry 
     Reciprocity Act of 1993 (15 U.S.C. 5902(a)) is amended to 
     read as follows:
       ``(a) In General.--If an armored car crew member employed 
     by an armored car company--
       ``(1) has in effect a license issued by the appropriate 
     State agency (in the State in which such member is primarily 
     employed by such company) to carry a weapon while acting in 
     the services of such company in that State, and such State 
     agency meets the minimum requirements under subsection (b); 
     and
       ``(2) has met all other applicable requirements to act as 
     an armored car crew member in the State in which such member 
     is primarily employed by such company;
     then such crew member shall be entitled to lawfully carry any 
     weapon to which such license relates and function as an 
     armored car crew member in any State while such member is 
     acting in the service of such company.''.
       (b) Minimum State Requirements.--Section 3(b) of such Act 
     (15 U.S.C. 5902(b)) is amended to read as follows:
       ``(b) Minimum State Requirements.--A State agency meets the 
     minimum State requirements of this subsection if--
       ``(1) in issuing an initial weapons license to an armored 
     car crew member described in subsection (a), the agency 
     determines to its satisfaction that--
       ``(A) the crew member has received classroom and range 
     training in weapons safety and marksmanship during the 
     current year from a qualified instructor for each weapon that 
     the crew member will be licensed to carry; and
       ``(B) the receipt or possession of a weapon by the crew 
     member would not violate Federal law, determined on the basis 
     of a criminal record background check conducted during the 
     current year;
       ``(2) in issuing a renewal of a weapons license to an 
     armored car crew member described in subsection (a), the 
     agency determines to its satisfaction that--
       ``(A) the crew member has received continuing training in 
     weapons safety and marksmanship from a qualified instructor 
     for each weapon that the crew member is licensed to carry; 
     and
       ``(B) the receipt or possession of a weapon by the crew 
     member would not violate Federal law, as determined by the 
     agency; and
       ``(3) in issuing a weapons license under paragraph (1) or 
     paragraph (2), as the case may be--
       ``(A) the agency issues such license for a period not to 
     exceed two years; or
       ``(B) the agency issues such license for a period not to 
     exceed five years in the case of a State that enacted a State 
     law before October 1, 1996, that provides for the issuance of 
     an initial weapons license or a renewal of a weapons license, 
     as the case may be, for a period not to exceed five years.''.

     SEC. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.

       The amendments made by section 2 shall take effect 30 days 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from 
Louisiana [Mr. Tauzin] and the gentleman from New York [Mr. Manton] 
each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Tauzin].
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. TAUZIN asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 624, the 
Armored Car Reciprocity Amendments. All we need to do is watch the 
evening news to be aware of the problems faced by the Nation's law 
enforcement and security personnel. We live in increasingly dangerous 
times, where a badge is now a target and the lives of people wearing 
those badges are placed in grave danger on a daily basis.
  Those who guard armored cars are no exception. Both the FBI and the 
armored car industry agree that there are more than 6 robbery attempts 
against armored cars every month. Sometimes these attempts result in 
the injury or death of the guard.
  There is no question there is a strong need for these individuals to 
be armed. When this committee reported the Armored Car Industry 
Reciprocity Act in the 103d Congress, it recognized that fact. However, 
it also recognized that we need to keep weapons out of the hands of 
criminals and the untrained. While most States require substantial 
training in the safe and legal use of their weapons before they issue 
crew members weapons permits, we reiterated that sentiment when we 
required regular training and criminal background checks before a 
State's weapons permit could be entitled to reciprocity under our act.

[[Page H635]]

  The legislation of the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Whitfield], H.R. 
624, the Armored Car Reciprocity Amendments of 1997, simply makes some 
technical changes in the original statute to better conform its 
requirements to the procedures in place in the majority of the States 
today. It still requires regular training and criminal background 
checks for armored car crew members, but allows States the necessary 
flexibility to issue permits according to their own procedures and 
their own timetables.
  In fact, it differs from the House-passed bill in only one 
substantive respect, and that was in response to criticisms leveled by 
some Members of the other body who failed to pass this legislation 
during the last Congress.
  It is a little known fact that the single largest interstate customer 
of the armored car industry is the Federal Government. Private 
companies annually transport billions of dollars in currency, coin, 
food stamps, and other negotiable documents. Because we entrust these 
companies with the Nation's valuables, we have an obligation to ensure 
that their job in protecting these valuables is as easy as possible.
  Mr. Speaker, that is why we need to enact H.R. 624. The gentleman 
from Kentucky [Mr. Whitfield] should be commended for his hard work in 
seeing this bill through. I would also like to thank the gentleman from 
New York [Mr. Manton], the ranking minority member of the subcommittee, 
and the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Oxley] for their support in bringing 
this legislation to the floor.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support the legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. MANTON. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  (Mr. MANTON asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. MANTON. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of this 
noncontroversial bipartisan legislation that will go a long way toward 
solving some of the problems currently confronting the armored car 
industry. These vehicles, privately or federally owned and operated, 
provide a valuable service for our Nation's financial institutions and 
businesses.
  Unfortunately, this is an industry which not surprisingly is often 
the target of violent criminals. Attacks on armored cars not only 
result in the loss of untold amounts of property but all too often ends 
with crew members being seriously injured or killed. Every day millions 
of dollars of currency, food stamps, and other valuables are carried by 
armored cars on our Nation's highways, roadways, and local streets. The 
nature of this work requires these vehicles and their crews to cross 
State lines in order to make deliveries, pickups, and provide other 
essential services.
  This legislation will facilitate the interstate transmittal of 
valuable cargos by providing armored crew members the authority to 
carry firearms across State lines. The bill grants reciprocity for 
necessary licenses as long as all requirements of the crew's primary 
State have been met and that they have passed the requisite criminal 
background checks.
  Mr. Speaker, over the last several years there has been a marked 
increase in the number of ATM machines and other financial service 
sites in this country. This in turn has led to more currency being 
transmitted on our roads, increasing the likelihood of attempted 
robberies and exposing crew members performing their duties to ever 
greater dangers. This legislation will ensure that armored car crews 
are able to adequately protect themselves, but will not in any way 
change Federal requirements for possession of a weapon or make it 
easier for anyone to receive a weapons license.
  During hearings on this issue, we learned of a rather ludicrous 
situation where armored car crew members were actually taken into 
police custody because their weapons permits were found to be invalid 
in that particular State. As a result, not only were these employees 
inconvenienced but their armored car was actually left defenseless by 
the side of the highway for an inordinate length of time. Such examples 
highlight the importance of solving the current problems of 
inconsistent application of license requirements and renewal processes 
among the various States.
  Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank both the gentleman from Kentucky 
[Mr. Whitfield] for crafting this legislation and Chairman Tauzin for 
moving this bill so expeditiously through the Committee on Commerce. As 
an original cosponsor of H.R. 624, I urge all of my colleagues to 
support this commendable legislation.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. Whitfield], the author of the legislation.
  Mr. WHITFIELD. Mr. Speaker, I am pleased today that the House is 
taking up our legislation, the Armored Car Reciprocity Amendments of 
1997, which is essentially the same legislation passed by the House 
without opposition during the 104th Congress. Unfortunately, time ran 
out in the Senate and they did not complete their work.
  In the United States, armored cars are used to transport millions of 
dollars in currency, coins, food stamps, and other valuable property 
for both private entities and the Federal Government, and because of 
the value of the cargo, armored cars are often, as we would expect, the 
targets of crime.

                              {time}  1130

  This legislation addresses the problems encountered by the States in 
three ways. First, it grants reciprocity for both weapons licenses and 
any other permits or licenses required in a particular State so long as 
the crew member has met all of the requirements in the State in which 
he or she is primarily employed; second, it makes clear that it is the 
State which should conduct criminal background checks and permits the 
States to do so in whatever manner they deem appropriate; and third, it 
eliminates the requirement in the original act that renewal permits be 
reissued annually and permits States to follow their own timetables. 
These changes represent a major step forward in achieving the 
objectives of the original act.
  Under the act as originally signed into law, only Illinois, 
Louisiana, Maryland, North Carolina, and Virginia met the requirements 
for reciprocity. With the changes under H.R. 624, 28 other States will 
qualify, and this will truly ease the flow of these valuable goods and 
interstate commerce.
  It is important to note that there is nothing in this bill which 
makes it easier for someone to get a gun that should not have one in 
the first place. If the person is prohibited from possessing a weapon 
under Federal law, there is nothing in this bill to change that. 
Further, it continues to require regular criminal background checks and 
weapons training for armored car crew members. In short, it simply 
eases the regulatory burden on armored car crews and companies, makes 
their job easier while effectively maintaining public safety.
  I want to thank particularly the gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. 
Tauzin] and the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Oxley] and the gentleman from 
New York [Mr. Manton] for their work on this legislation. I urge my 
colleagues on both sides of the aisle to support the legislation and 
thank them.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I commend the author of the legislation and 
now yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Ohio [Mr. 
Oxley], who, by the way, is the only serving former member of the FBI.
  (Mr. OXLEY asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. OXLEY. Mr. Speaker, I feel compelled to quote the great Yogi 
Berra and point out that consideration of this bill feels like deja vu 
all over again. It was just last year that I stood on the floor, 
managed legislation virtually identical to the bill before us today. 
That is why I am pleased to join our friend, the gentleman from 
Kentucky [Mr. Whitfield] and the gentleman from New York [Mr. Manton] 
again as cosponsor of H.R. 624, the Armored Car Reciprocity Amendments 
of 1997, and thank the gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Tauzin] for his 
leadership in this issue.
  Armored car crew members have a very dangerous job. They transport 
billions of dollars' worth of valuables

[[Page H636]]

every year, which makes them an increasingly ripe target for attack by 
everyone from militias to drug gangs to common criminals. In fiscal 
year 1995, the FBI investigated nearly 70 armored car robberies. In the 
first 6 months of 1996, they investigated more than 30 new cases of 
robbery attempts against armored cars and their crews, and I know that 
it comes as no surprise that there were injuries and fatalities in a 
number of these cases, as pointed out by previous speakers.
  Armored car crews are trained professionals who need to be able to 
protect themselves and their cargo against attack. This bill simply 
makes it easier for these companies and employees to operate safely and 
legally and safely in interstate commerce, and that is why I have 
supported this legislation in the past, why I continue to support it 
today.
  Mr. Speaker, I urge all of my colleagues to support this important 
legislation.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield such time as he may consume to the 
gentleman from Florida [Mr. Stearns].
  (Mr. STEARNS asked and was given permission to revise and extend his 
remarks.)
  Mr. STEARNS. Mr. Speaker, I wish to congratulate my colleague from 
Kentucky [Mr. Whitfield] for what he has done on this bill and the 
gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Tauzin] for bringing this bill to the 
House floor.
  In the United States armored cars are used to transport millions and 
millions of dollars in currency, coins, food stamps, and other valuable 
property. The Federal Government remains the largest customer to the 
armored car industry. As a result of their cargo, armored cars are 
often a target of crime. In order to protect the safety of both the 
cargo and the individuals responsible for its transport, we are once 
again considering amendments to the Armored Car Industry Reciprocity 
Act.
  Mr. Speaker, I was pleased to have been an original cosponsor of 
similar legislation which passed the House unanimously during the 104th 
Congress.
  The need for these amendments can be illustrated by an incident, a 
case in New Jersey, in which the operation of an armored car across the 
State lines almost ended in the loss of $40 million in very valuable 
Federal property. The armored car was stopped by a policeman for a 
traffic violation, and when the licenses were checked of the armored 
car guards, it is found that they did not have the proper permit, and 
they were arrested for carrying a weapon without a permit in that 
State. The armored car remained on the side of the highway overnight, 
containing $40 million worth of very valuable property. Had the 
amendments we are considering today been in place, the potential for a 
financial detrimental situation could have been avoided altogether.
  I think it important, Mr. Speaker, to emphasize that these amendments 
do not place weapons in the hands of additional people. The reciprocity 
of the licenses extends only to those professionals who have obtained a 
weapons license in that primary State of employment, and of course when 
they get this permit, they must commit to a safety test, and their 
record is checked and a background check is made.
  Since the genesis of this legislation involves the reciprocity of 
weapons licenses, I want to briefly mention legislation that I have 
introduced to allow reciprocity for concealed weapons, licenses that 
would be given to individuals. H.R. 339 establishes the right-to-carry 
parameters across State lines. It is my hope that my colleagues will 
join me in support of further reciprocity for gun owners.
  Mr. Speaker, today we are faced with an easy task. By passing H.R. 
624 we will remove the barriers that currently inhibit interstate 
travel of armored cars. It is senseless that armored car guards who 
have met the professional licensing requirements to carry a weapon in 
one State should be required to obtain a license in every State that 
they travel through when they are transporting their cargos.
  So I urge passage of this bill and I again compliment the gentleman 
from Louisiana [Mr. Tauzin] and the gentleman from Kentucky [Mr. 
Whitfield].
  Mr. MANTON. Mr. Speaker, we have no more requests for time, so I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume 
merely to again thank the gentleman from New York [Mr. Manton] for his 
extraordinary help and cooperation in moving this bill forward, and all 
the members of our subcommittee of the Committee on Commerce who 
participated in this effort, and I urge final passage of the bill.
  Ms. JACKSON-LEE of Texas. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to speak in 
support of H.R. 624, the Armored Car Reciprocity Improvement Act.
  In the United States, armored cars are used everyday to transport 
millions of dollars in currency, coins, food stamps, and other valuable 
property for both private entities and the Federal Government. The 
value of this cargo is not in dispute, but the ability of those charged 
with the responsibility of transporting it is.
  The legitimacy of those who currently transport cargo by armored car 
across State lines, must be universally recognized by all States. H.R. 
624 will go a long way in accomplishing this goal.
  This bill will accomplish several important functions for the armor 
car industry and its customers, who depend on the ability of armored 
cars and their attendants to function across the State lines.
  The bill requires that a criminal background check be conducted on an 
individual applying for a firearms license only when that person 
applies for his or her initial license, and it clarifies that it is the 
State that must conduct the initial criminal background check, and not 
some third party.
  Finally, this bill would establish that reciprocity be granted for 
both weapons licenses and any other permits or licenses required in a 
State, if the crew member has met all relevant requirements for working 
as an armored car crew member in the State in which he or she is 
primarily employed.
  Currently, only five States meet the eligibility requirements for 
reciprocity under the Armored Car Industry Reciprocity Act of 1993. It 
is estimated that the change in the law proposed by this bill would 
enable 28 other States to become immediately eligible for reciprocity.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, I have no other requests for time, and I 
yield back the balance of my time.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. (Mr. Shays). The question is on the motion 
offered by the gentleman from Louisiana [Mr. Tauzin] that the House 
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 624.
  The question was taken.
  Mr. TAUZIN. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
  The yeas and nays were ordered.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 5 of rule I and the 
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be 
postponed.

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