Knife Rights' Knife Owners' Protection Act Introduced in Congress - CALL/WRITE TODAY!

Critter

Critter

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Knife Rights' Knife Owners' Protection Act Introduced in Congress
Protects Knife Owners From Vagaries of Restrictive State Laws
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Knife Rights' Knife Owners' Protection Act, H.R.3478 (KOPA), has been introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ). Knife Rights Chairman Doug Ritter explained, "KOPA will protect law-abiding knife owners travelling throughout the U.S. from the vagaries of restrictive state and local laws. As long as possession of the particular knife is legal in the state where the journey starts and ends, and provided the knife is secured in accordance with KOPA, a knife owner would no longer be threatened with arrest simply for traveling from one place to another." KOPA is the first proactive pro-knife federal legislation introduced in the nation's history.

TAKE ACTION TODAY!
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Getting this bill introduced is only the first step. We need your help to gain additional co-sponsors. If your Representative is not already a co-sponsor (see below), PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TODAY and urge them to co-sponsor this commonsense legislation. You can find your Representative at: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

Or, you can use the Open Congress website at: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/hr3478-113

Here's a model email that you can use. We strongly suggest you keep it simple and to the point:

I support H.R.3478, the Knife Owners' Protection Act of 2013. I urge you to become a co-sponsor of this commonsense legislation that will protect my rights and the rights of all knife owners to travel throughout the U.S. without fear of prosecution under the myriad of state and local knife laws.
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More about KOPA:

"Those who travel across the country with knives for work, recreation and self defense are presently subject to arrest and prosecution under a confusing patchwork of inconsistent state and local laws and regulations, said Ritter, "what is perfectly legal in one place may be a serious crime in another, resulting in forfeiture of property and carrying significant penalties including jail time. Enforcement is not uniform even within jurisdictions and is subject to the vagaries of political expediency at times. Sportsmen and workmen who travel are particularly vulnerable."

"The culmination of almost three years of effort, Knife Rights developed the Knife Owners' Protection Act to address this absurd situation in a commonsense manner that is fair and equitable and is based on established legislative and legal precedent," Ritter noted, "we've fought hard to defend the right to carry a knife in the individual states, cities and towns, but KOPA represents a key initiative to protect law-abiding knife owners simply passing through areas like New York City where possessing the most commonly owned pocket knife in America today, the one-hand opening folding knife, may result in arrest and prosecution."

Sponsor Rep. Matt Salmon (AZ-05) said, "This legislation is long overdue. The Knife Owners' Protection Act is a responsible and reasonable means of ensuring that knife owners throughout America can travel with assurance that their rights will be protected with equal respect for states with overly restrictive knife laws."

Additional co-sponsors are: Rep. Kerry Bentivolio (R-MI), Rep. Scott DesJarlais (R-TN), Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Rep. David Schweikert (R-AZ), and Rep. Steve Stockman (R-TX)
The current situation with knives is similar to the circumstances with guns that existed prior to the passage of the Firearms Owner Protection Act (FOPA -18 USC 926A) in 1986, when Congress acted to protect law-abiding gun owners from a similar inconsistent patchwork of laws by insulating their travels if firearms possession was lawful at both the origination and destination points of travel.

Ritter noted "unfortunately, FOPA provides no protections whatsoever to knife owners, so they are completely unprotected from the same perils. It is entirely likely that a sportsman travelling with both firearms and knives who follows FOPA's requirements to the letter and also locks up his knives in an abundance of caution, could be insulated against prosecution for firearms possession, yet be arrested and prosecuted for knife possession. That is a ridiculous situation. KOPA simply aims to protect knife owners in the same manner as KOPA protects firearm owners."

KOPA has teeth to defend those who travel under its protection because it also provides penalties for law enforcement, prosecutors and others who ignore the protections provided. Similar to the protections and penalties generally provided in USC 1983 to those whose civil rights are violated, a falsely arrested citizen can be compensated for the expense of defending themselves from an unwarranted violation of the rights Congress has protected in KOPA.

Ritter closed by saying, "Knife Rights continues to lead the way with aggressive proactive legislative action to defend and protect knife owners' rights. KOPA is just another example of our groundbreaking efforts to create a Sharper Future for all Americans."

Read H.R3478 at: http://bit.ly/19njvUw

A FAQ on KOPA with additional details and background can be found at: http://bit.ly/1arZIa0

TAKE ACTION TODAY!
​

Getting this bill introduced is only the first step. We need your help to gain additional co-sponsors. If your Representative is not already a co-sponsor (see below), PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TODAY and urge them to co-sponsor this commonsense legislation. You can find your Representative at: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

Or, you can use the Open Congress website at: http://www.opencongress.org/bill/hr3478-113

Here's a model email that you can use. We strongly suggest you keep it simple and to the point:

I support H.R.3478, the Knife Owners' Protection Act of 2013. I urge you to become a co-sponsor of this commonsense legislation that will protect my rights and the rights of all knife owners to travel throughout the U.S. without fear of prosecution under the myriad of state and local knife laws.
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If this is gonna be anything like the Firearms Owners Protection Act of 1986, I want nothing to do with it. :rolleyes:

I'll need to email my rep. God bless you all for doing what you.
 
Bugout Bill said:
If this is gonna be anything like the Firearms Owners Protection Act of 1986, I want nothing to do with it. :rolleyes:

I'll need to email my rep. God bless you all for doing what you.
Click to expand...

As noted, it is based on the travel protections from FOPA, BUT, very importantly, closes as many loopholes as we could think of to hopefully ensure it is not abused like FOPA has been in some jurisdictions (NY and NJ in particular). I strongly urge you to review the FAQ at: http://bit.ly/1arZIa0

Haven't there been efforts to circumvent FOPA, upon which KOPA is based?

In enacting protections for knife owners, KOPA addresses known vulnerabilities in FOPA which have been used to circumvent Congress' intent and unjustly subject travelers to local laws in some jurisdictions. KOPA has been crafted to prevent similar circumvention.

Won't authorities in anti-knife jurisdictions just ignore KOPA, like some ignore FOPA?

Unlike FOPA, KOPA has teeth to defend those who travel under its protection because it also provides penalties for law enforcement, prosecutors and others who ignore the protections provided. Similar to the protections and penalties generally provided in USC 1983 to those whose civil rights are violated, a falsely arrested citizen can be compensated for the expense of defending themselves from an unwarranted violation of the rights Congress has protected in KOPA.
 
Critter said:
As noted, it is based on the travel protections from FOPA, BUT, very importantly, closes as many loopholes as we could think of to hopefully ensure it is not abused like FOPA has been in some jurisdictions (NY and NJ in particular). I strongly urge you to review the FAQ at: http://bit.ly/1arZIa0

Haven't there been efforts to circumvent FOPA, upon which KOPA is based?

In enacting protections for knife owners, KOPA addresses known vulnerabilities in FOPA which have been used to circumvent Congress' intent and unjustly subject travelers to local laws in some jurisdictions. KOPA has been crafted to prevent similar circumvention.

Won't authorities in anti-knife jurisdictions just ignore KOPA, like some ignore FOPA?

Unlike FOPA, KOPA has teeth to defend those who travel under its protection because it also provides penalties for law enforcement, prosecutors and others who ignore the protections provided. Similar to the protections and penalties generally provided in USC 1983 to those whose civil rights are violated, a falsely arrested citizen can be compensated for the expense of defending themselves from an unwarranted violation of the rights Congress has protected in KOPA.
Click to expand...

You have my support, I need to contact my reps.
 
Here is what should be a frequently asked question that isn't in the faq section.

What is KOPA's definition of 'secured'?
 
You have my support, VA district 9 rep has been contacted. Thanks for your hard work!
 
Scurvy092 said:
Here is what should be a frequently asked question that isn't in the faq section.

What is KOPA's definition of 'secured'?
Click to expand...

Good point, will add it. In the meantime, from the bill:

(1) in the case of transportation by motor vehicle, the knife or knives are not directly accessible from the passenger compartment of such transporting vehicle, or, in the case of a motor vehicle without a compartment separate from the passenger compartment, the knife or knives shall be contained in a locked container, glove compartment, or console;
or
(2) in the case of transportation by other means (including any conveyance over land, on or through water, or through the air), the knife or knives are contained in a locked container.

KOPA doesn't override TSA regulations, so for travel in any aircraft where there is TSA screening, you still can't carry a knife onboard, even if locked up.
 
This is definitely good news indeed.

But what legal protections are there should a judge refuse to acknowledge the bill if it becomes law, and denies any motion to cite the law as a defense against malicious prosecution?
 
Charlie_K said:
This is definitely good news indeed.

But what legal protections are there should a judge refuse to acknowledge the bill if it becomes law, and denies any motion to cite the law as a defense against malicious prosecution?
Click to expand...

There will always be rogue judges and that's just the way it is. However, when you can afford good lawyers because the govt. is liable for their transgressions, that also means you can appeal. Is it perfect? No, but it's a whole lot better than what we have now, far better than FOPA even, and it ensures that the right tools are available to fight the odd renegade.
 
Thanks for this Doug. I've already sent a letter to my Congressmen. This took me totally by surprise. I've never even considered the possibility of being pulled over in a state with restrictive knife laws that I was merely driving through and facing possible arrest for having a knife with me. The mind boggles at the thought of having to research the knife laws in every state/municipality that you drive through to get to point B.
 
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