Today, April 5, 2016, the Mississippi House of Representatives concurred with the changes made by the Senate to House Bill 786 originally entitled the “Mississippi Church Protection Act.” It is present form House Bill 786 provides the following:
- Allows the governing body of any church or place of worship may establish a security program by which designated members are authorized to carry firearms for the protection of the congregation of the church
- Establishes immunity from civil liability for any action taken by a member of the security program if the action in question occurs during the reasonable exercise of and within the course and scope of the member’s official duties as a member of the security program for the church or place of worship IF
- Each participant of the program possesses at least an enhanced firearms license;
- The names of the members of the security program are recorded in the minutes of the church or otherwise noted in writing if the church does not keep minutes (the list is available to law enforcement if requested as part of an investigation following the use of firearm in the security program); AND
- The member meets the requirements for the security team
- Allows a person without a license to carry a concealed firearm in a holster, purse, or fully enclosed bag.
House Bill 786 joins House Bill 1300 (shooting range protections) and Senate Bill 2313 (removing suppressors from registration with the Mississippi Department of Public Safety) as having been concurred and on their way to the Governor for signature.
House Bill 786 is effective upon passage (not on July 1, 2016 as most other bills).
In light of the changes to be brought by House Bill 786 Mississippi will now provide for both open carry and concealed carry without a license. This is sometimes known as “Constitutional Carry.” If my count is correct we will be the 9th state, just a few weeks behind Idaho which is #8.
