Summary

Prohibits states and localities from criminalizing, penalizing, or otherwise restricting the public carrying of firearms by U.S. citizens (residents or nonresidents) who are otherwise eligible under federal and state law. It amends federal law to preempt conflicting state and local rules, expands the statutory definitions of "firearm"/related items for this provision, and sets exceptions for privately owned locations that clearly prohibit firearms and for places screened under state law. Declares findings about the Second Amendment and key Supreme Court cases to justify the change, and updates the federal statutory table to reflect the amended provision. The bill does not appropriate funds or create new federal licensing requirements; it mainly removes the ability of state and local governments to make public carry a crime or to impose barriers that effectively prevent public carry by eligible people.

• Creates a federal prohibition on state and local laws that criminalize or penalize public carrying of firearms by otherwise-eligible persons.
• Expands the statutory definition of "firearm" to explicitly include feeding devices and ammunition for the purpose of this provision.
• Defines "public" broadly to include places open to the public, but allows private owners who clearly prohibit firearms to opt out.
• Excludes places where firearms screening is conducted under state law from the preemption.
• Contains Congressional findings citing Supreme Court cases (Heller, McDonald, Bruen) to justify preemption on Second Amendment grounds.
• Does not create new federal licensing, permitting, or spending programs in the provided text.
• Applies to the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and U.S. possessions as part of the definition of "State."
• Revises the federal criminal code section (18 U.S.C. § 927) and updates the chapter table of sections accordingly.
• Will likely trigger state legislative changes, law enforcement policy adjustments, and litigation over scope and exceptions.