The West Virginia House of Delegates has signed off on legislation that would allow 18-, 19-, and 20-year-olds to carry a concealed weapon without a permit.
Delegates passed House Bill 4106 mostly along party lines with a vote of 87 to nine and three members absent.
West Virginia has allowed people over age 21 to carry a concealed weapon without a permit since 2016.
Open carry is legal for people who are at least 18 years old and not otherwise prohibited from carrying a gun.
Under current law, people aged 18 to 20 may apply for a provisional license in order to carry a concealed pistol or revolver. The application process for the provisional license requires proof of handgun safety training.
Lawmakers in 2023 passed a law that allows people with a concealed carry permit to carry a concealed pistol or revolver in many areas of public college campuses.
West Virginia Democratic House Minority Leader Del. Sean Hornbuckle
The House earlier this week voted down an amendment from Democratic House Minority Leader Del. Sean Hornbuckle hat would have limited the ability to carry a concealed weapon to those 18-, 19- and 20-year-olds who have served in the Armed Forces or National Guard and those who have served in state or federal law enforcement.
Hornbuckle urged fellow delegates to be cautious about repealing training requirements for young people carrying concealed weapons.
He estimated that the bill would allow an additional 70,000 residents in the state to carry a concealed weapon with no permit or training.
“I believe this law is not going to be synced up with our campus carry law, It can cause a lot of issues for our universities, and also cost them potential money in having to uphold the current law,” Hornbuckle said.
According to a 2023 study by West Virginia University researchers and published by the American Public Health Association, handgun deaths in West Virginia increased by 45% in the years after the law was implemented.
Democratic Del. Hollis Lewis
Democratic. Del. Hollis Lewis also said lawmakers should proceed with caution on the bill.
“I can tell you from somebody who has had countless friends murdered, killed, shot at those tender ages, that again, lowering the barrier is not, I don’t think, the answer,” Lewis said.
“And again, we don’t want to infringe on anybody’s constitutional rights, but we need common-sense guardrails in order to stop people from hurting themselves and hurting others” Lewis said.
Republican Del. Dave Foggin said the bill is about giving an 18-year-old the ability to control their own safety.
“The training is great,” Foggin said. “My kids went through the training. I agree with you. Training is wonderful. But what if you don’t have time to get the training? What if you don’t have that opportunity, then you’re in violation.”
Republican Del. Dave Foggin
Republican Del. Josh Holstein pointed out that people ages 18-20 are already allowed to openly carry a weapon.
“These people already have access to open carry under this current law,” Holstein said. “They’re not putting firearms in the hands of anybody else. It’s just a decision whether it’s concealed carry or not, and that’s what we’re discussing here.”
Of the nine no votes, eight were cast by House Democrats.
Democratic Del. Shawn Fluharty was the only Democrat to vote for the measure. GOP Del. Stanley Adkins was the only Republican to vote against the bill.
The Senate last week passed a similar bill, Senate Bill 30, with a vote of 33 to 1.
