On April 10, 2025, the Missouri House of Representatives passed gun law reform bill HB 328. The bill is essentially the same as Senate Bill SB 77, put forward by Senator Schnelting. The bills remove the ban on carrying weapons aboard most public transportation for people with concealed carry permits. Similar bills were filed in 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024.
In 2022, the Senate leadership killed the bill due to a lack of attention. The 2024 version of the bill, HB 1708, did not pass the House. The bill has an excellent chance of passing if it can be brought to the floor for a vote. The House vote on April 10, 2025, was 106 to 45 with 2 present. Here is a Summary of HB 328:
HCS HB 328 — CONCEALED CARRY PERMITS (Taylor (48))
COMMITTEE OF ORIGIN: Standing Committee on General Laws
Currently, it is a crime to board a bus with a dangerous or deadly weapon or carry such a weapon in a terminal. This bill allows a concealed carry permit holder to lawfully carry firearms on public transportation. Individuals with a permit can also carry a firearm while traveling by bus. This bill does not apply to property of Amtrak or any partnership in which Amtrak engages. The bill expands the listed items that satisfy the requirement that an applicant for a concealed carry permit demonstrate knowledge of firearms safety training to include, for active duty military service members, receipt of a pistol marksmanship recognition. The bill lowers
the age requirement from at least 19 to 18 years of age or older for concealed carry permits. This bill is similar to HB 1708 (2024).
Senator Schnelting has placed SB 77, the Senate twin of HB 328, on the informal calendar for the Transportation, Infrastructure, and Public Safety committee, where he is the vice-chair. This means he can bring the bill to the committee when he thinks the time is appropriate.
Missouri has a reputation for being a state that honors the Second Amendment. It seems strange that this ban on the exercise of Second Amendment rights on public transportation has survived this many years, in spite of the best efforts of Senator Schnelting.
Many bills die for lack of attention by legislative leadership. The Missouri legislature is scheduled to adjourn the 2025 session on May 16, 2025. With less than a month to go, the legislative leadership will have to give support to this bill for it to pass this year.
This correspondent has not found any statements about this bill from Missouri Governor Republican Mike Kehoe. He was sworn in as Governor on January 13, 2025. He has been the Lt. Governor of Missouri for four years before he was elected as Governor.
If the Missouri law is challenged in court, it has a good chance of being struck down as unconstitutional. In Illinois, in the Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit, a law banning carry on public transportation has been declared to be unconstitutional by the District Court. The summary judgment is being appealed to a three-judge panel of the Seventh Circuit at this time. Missouri is in the Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
A ban on the carry of weapons on public transportation is being challenged in the District of Columbia. Montana eliminated its ban on carry on busses of the Montana Urban Transportation District when challenged by the Montana Shooting Sports Association.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
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