Bill Overview
Title: Traveler's Gun Rights Act
Description: This bill allows an individual who does not have a physical residence in a state to use the address for a private mailbox or post office box maintained by that individual for purposes of obtaining a firearm from a federally licensed dealer.
Sponsors: Rep. Johnson, Dusty [R-SD-At Large]
Target Audience
Population: Individuals without a physical residence in a state wishing to purchase firearms
Estimated Size: 300000
- The bill pertains to individuals who do not have a physical residence in a state but wish to purchase firearms.
- Such individuals might include travelers, nomads, digital nomads, or people temporarily working away from a permanent home.
- Federally licensed firearms dealers would also be impacted as they would need to accommodate these transactions under the new guidelines.
- State regulatory agencies might see changes in firearm registration and tracking due to this altered address usage rule.
Reasoning
- The population affected by this policy primarily includes travelers and nomads without a physical residence who wish to purchase firearms. The policy might reduce bureaucratic barriers for this group and enhance their ability to access firearms while mobile.
- A segment of this population includes van-lifers, digital nomads, and transient workers who lack a stable residential address but may have a need to access firearms.
- The policy is not expected to significantly impact those who already have a permanent residence or those who do not purchase firearms, hence it can be considered a niche policy with relatively specific beneficiaries.
- Given the budget constraints and population estimates, the effectiveness and the outreach of the policy are limited. A directed approach is required to ensure it serves the intended group efficiently.
- Wellbeing scores are likely unaffected for those not seeking to purchase firearms or already possessing the needed documentation. However, for those directly impacted, a perceivable increase in wellbeing scores could occur due to reduced stress and legal ease of obtaining firearms.
Simulated Interviews
Travel Blogger (Full-time RVer, Northern California region)
Age: 35 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 7/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy seems beneficial because it acknowledges the lifestyle of digital nomads like me.
- Easing the purchasing process without mandating a fixed address would reduce some of the stress involved in purchasing a firearm while traveling.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 9 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 7 |
Remote Software Engineer (New York City)
Age: 28 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 6/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The ability to use an alternative address could simplify things, but since I use my family's address, the current changes might be minimal.
- Flexibility in address usage could be helpful, especially if I want to cut ties with using family addresses in the future.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 6 |
Travel Nurse (Chicago)
Age: 45 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 8.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- A policy like this is necessary for people like me who require flexibility due to our job nature.
- Having clearer guidelines allows us to conform and plan better in locations with fluctuating address requirements.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 9 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 5 |
Retired, Part-time RV Traveler (Florida)
Age: 53 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 8
Duration of Impact: 0.5 years
Commonness: 12/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm fairly indifferent as I already own firearms at my fixed residence, so this policy doesn't affect me much.
- It's probably a good thing for full-time travelers without homes though.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 10 | 8 | 8 |
| Year 20 | 8 | 8 |
Seasonal Agricultural Worker (San Diego, CA)
Age: 22 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 4
Duration of Impact: 2.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- This policy might help balance things out for people who frequently migrate for work.
- I don't own firearms, and this wouldn't change that because my focus is not on getting one, but the flexibility of address would be a positive change if I did.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Year 10 | 4 | 4 |
| Year 20 | 4 | 4 |
IT Consultant, frequently travels for assignments (Austin, TX)
Age: 39 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 7.0 years
Commonness: 8/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Given my travel schedule, streamlining the process to obtain firearms legally has positive marks.
- It directly affects my capacity to get firearms while on business trips.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 8 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Freelance Writer (Seattle, WA)
Age: 30 | Gender: female
Wellbeing Before Policy: 6
Duration of Impact: 10.0 years
Commonness: 10/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The ability to use an alternative mailing address is conducive to my lifestyle, even if I don't own a firearm yet.
- I may eventually consider firearm ownership, so reducing barriers is appealing.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 6 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 10 | 6 | 6 |
| Year 20 | 6 | 6 |
Field Technician with region-based assignments (Denver, CO)
Age: 34 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 5.0 years
Commonness: 9/20
Statement of Opinion:
- The need for alternative address representation in official capacities makes life simpler when you have assignments that keep you on the move.
- It streamlines part of the bureaucratic mess I deal with each deployment.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Retired nomadic sailor (Boston, MA)
Age: 61 | Gender: male
Wellbeing Before Policy: 7
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 4/20
Statement of Opinion:
- Owning firearms doesn't concern me, since I sail most of the year.
- I see the logic in reducing the conflict between laws and real-world applications for other people in my position.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 2 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 3 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 5 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 10 | 7 | 7 |
| Year 20 | 7 | 7 |
Freelance Photographer (Mobile AL)
Age: 27 | Gender: other
Wellbeing Before Policy: 5
Duration of Impact: 1.0 years
Commonness: 5/20
Statement of Opinion:
- I'm not impacted because I'm not a gun owner, but I understand this facilitates smoother transitions for those who are.
- It's an administrative improvement that benefits some in logistics-heavy lifestyles.
Wellbeing Over Time (With vs Without Policy)
| Year | With Policy | Without Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 2 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 3 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 10 | 5 | 5 |
| Year 20 | 5 | 5 |
Cost Estimates
Year 1: $2000000 (Low: $1500000, High: $3000000)
Year 2: $1800000 (Low: $1300000, High: $2800000)
Year 3: $1600000 (Low: $1200000, High: $2600000)
Year 5: $1400000 (Low: $1000000, High: $2400000)
Year 10: $1200000 (Low: $900000, High: $2200000)
Year 100: $600000 (Low: $500000, High: $1000000)
Key Considerations
- Ensuring compliance with federal firearms laws when using mailbox addresses.
- Potential burden on federally licensed firearms dealers to adapt systems and training.
- State regulations and how they address firearms requiring physical residency checks.
- The role of state agencies in tracking firearms when linked to non-traditional addresses.