Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act

Bill 115 HR 1181, also known as the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act, is a piece of legislation that aims to protect the Second Amendment rights of veterans who receive assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill was introduced in the House of Representatives on February 16, 2017, by Representative Phil Roe of Tennessee.

The main purpose of the bill is to prevent the VA from reporting veterans to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) as "mentally incompetent" without due process. This designation would prohibit veterans from owning or purchasing firearms, even if they have not been formally adjudicated as mentally incompetent by a court.

The bill argues that veterans should not lose their Second Amendment rights simply because they need assistance managing their VA benefits. It also asserts that the current process for reporting veterans to the NICS is unfair and lacks proper safeguards to protect veterans' rights. If passed, the Veterans 2nd Amendment Protection Act would require a judicial authority to determine whether a veteran is mentally incompetent before they can be reported to the NICS. This would provide veterans with the opportunity to defend themselves and ensure that their rights are not unjustly taken away. Overall, the bill seeks to uphold the Second Amendment rights of veterans while also ensuring that proper due process is followed in determining their mental competency. It has received support from various veterans' organizations and Second Amendment advocacy groups.