Interstate Transport Act: Enhanced Protection for Knife Owners Nationwide

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American Knife & Tool Institute (AKTI)Cody, WY-(Ammoland.com)- The American Knife & Tool Institute (AKTI), a nonprofit trade association representing the entire knife community, continues to work to promote common-sense knife law reform at the federal, state, and local levels. Throughout 2017, AKTI has had numerous successes in easing burdensome restrictions on knife owners throughout the nation, including a repeal of the switchblade prohibition in Colorado and advancement of the switchblade repeal in Michigan, which is likely to be enacted this year. In addition, AKTI has continued its work to protect lawful knife owners traveling through the current patchwork of state and local knife laws with the introduction of the Interstate Transport Act.

The organization supports signature federal legislation was recently re-introduced by Senators Mike Enzi, R-WY, and Ron Wyden, D-OR and currently has six additional bipartisan co-sponsors. These co-sponsors include: Senators Steve Daines, R-MT, Martin Heinrich, D-NM, James Risch, R-ID, Joe Manchin, D-WV, Jeff Merkley, D-OR, and Mike Crapo, R-ID.

The Interstate Transport Act is a continuation of AKTI’s efforts in the US Congress since 2013. This work is done to help the many knife owners who have contacted AKTI regarding confusion over the varying laws in locations they are visiting or planning to travel through. And since AKTI’s goal is to ensure that law-abiding citizens feel knowledgeable and confident in their ability to carry the tools they use for their daily and recreational lives, we got to work.

“The Interstate Transport Act provides common-sense protections for knife ownerstraveling through the United States,” Senator Wyden said. “Our bipartisan bill would protect public safety, respect states’ rights and ensure knife owners who are following the law are not punished for traveling between places where knives are legal.”

Under current U.S. code, lawful gun owners are allowed to transport firearms legally in both the state of origin and the state of destination, provided they are properly stored and in accordance with all federal restrictions. This protection was created in 1986, when Congress passed the Firearms Owners Protection Act (FOPA). Prior to this legislation, gun owners had no way to legally travel to and from states with legal firearms.

However, no such protection exists for knife owners wishing to transport knives to and from states in which they are legal, but through jurisdictions with varying requirements. The Interstate Transport Act would create a federal protection for knife owners, allowing legal interstate travel with knives, provided the knives are transported to and from states where the law allows possession of said knives, and they are transported in locked containers.

The bill, S. 1092, has been referred to the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation. This same Committee passed the bill last Congress without objection.

Once enacted into law, the Interstate Transport Act will protect knife owners while traveling.

“Since we were formed in 1998, AKTI has worked to systematically address what we saw as outdated, confusing, and unfair laws both in the states, and at the federal level,” said CJ Buck, AKTI President and CEO of Buck Knives, Inc. “Our goal is common sense knife reform, and in recent years we have had success fighting for changes in multiple states, to the benefit of the consumer. At the federal level, we remain committed to repeal of the obsolete Federal Switchblade Act, and we also believe that we can support other measures, like the Interstate Transport Act, which will provide great value to knife owners who travel between states for sport or work. He added, “We are proud to be working with a bipartisan group of legislators who share our commitment to common sense solutions, and we look forward to passing this important reform into law.”

“Knife owners can be confident that the American Knife & Tool Institute will solve the problems they face owning and using knives in ways that will truly protect them,” emphasized David Fee, AKTI Legislative chair and Vice President of Benchmade. “AKTI’s legislative initiatives are dedicated to serving the entire knife community.”

For more information, visit www.AKTI.org.

About AKTI

The American Knife & Tool Institute is the non-profit advocacy organization for the knife industry and all knife owners. Its mission is to ensure that Americans will always be able to make, buy, sell, own, carry and use knives and edged tools. Formed in 1998, AKTI is dedicated to educating, promoting and providing relevant and accurate information about knives and edged tools as important tools in daily American life. For more information, visit AKTI.org

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Brian

God gave us the right to carry a gun, a knife, and a teddy bear if we want. Every day pompous, arrogant, men work tirelessly to show they have more power than God.

Chuckbone56

Here in Texas it is unusual to see a man without a knife in his pocket or clipped to his belt. A knife is a tool. What is wrong with this country? Why are people too stupid to realize we are free because our ancestors owned and took up guns and edged weapons to fight for that freedom? All young people better pay attention to what the government and liberals are trying to do. If you dont you will become slaves.

Shooter

You were doing great and tell you mentioned liberals. I am a liberal and have carried a knife all of my life, I own dozens. You need to check your facts and get them straight . It isn’t just the so-called liberals who are actively working to restrict our constitutional freedoms. Take a good hard look at our current United States Attorney General, Republican, conservative, Jeffrey Beauregard Sessions, who perjured his way through his Senate confirmation hearings, and is actively working to strengthen gun laws. Do some research on Idaho and the recent scandal involving a number of republican/conservative politicians… Read more »

Heed the Call-up

Shooter, you are correct, and we need to use proper terms, not the terms co-opted by the Leftists. These “progressives” and “Liberals” are the exact opposite of the definition of these terms. They don’t believe in freedom and Democracy, but oppression and restriction of our inalienable rights. Schwarzenegger is European, he probably has many left of center values; he married a staunch Democrat/Leftist. Reagan as Governor of California also signed anti-gun legislation, too, but that doesn’t make what the current California government is doing right, nor acceptable. Democrats and, more correctly, Leftists (not Liberals), are the ones currently enacting most… Read more »

Chuckbone56

@shooter, Ok I stand corrected. What descriptive term may be used to identify those who are working to enslave us?

Grandpa Dave

Authoritarians.

Grim

Good one!

Gil

“We stole the land from the Natives fair and square.”

Heed the Call-up

Gil, the “natives” fought and lost it. The Moors and Ottomans invaded Europe, the Romans conquered a large part of Europe, parts of Asia and Africa. History is filled with one group conquering and taking land from others. Even the “natives” fought each other and took land from each other. So you point is what? Should we be paying reparations to the “natives”? Does that mean the Muslims need to pay reparations to the Europeans? What about the Greeks and Romans, the Japanese, the Chinese, the Mongols, the Hutus, etc.? It will be interesting to determine who, what and how… Read more »

Gil

Hence if you can’t defend yourself from invaders your stuff becomes their stuff.

Heed the Call-up

Gil, so you are now advocating defense? Will you be using your computer game Ninja/Commando skills?

Jim Macklin

A key item of importance that should have been the first sentence or in the headline.
Instead it was toward the end of the article and was not bold or larger type.

“Once enacted into law, the Interstate Transport Act will protect knife owners while traveling.”

Shooter

“…The right to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed upon”.
That’s it that’s all there needs to be..
But unfortunately that’s not the way it’s working.
By the way, I am a liberal/Democrat and I absolutely believe in the Second Amendment, and the right to keep, own, carry, possess, bear, fire, use guns and knives etc.
And it’s not just the Second Amendment I believe in, but all of our constitutional rights, freedoms, and protections .

Wild Bill

@shooter, Do you also believe the right to keep the property that you have earned?

Wild Bill

@shooter, If you believe in Second Amendment Civil Rights, then what makes you a democrat?

Grim

Shooter. – looks like Wild Bill defines if you are a true Constitutionalist.

Wild Bill

Nope, I am not defining anything, just asking the question. I did not mention true anything, or Constitutionalist. Based upon what he wrote about himself, I am just asking for a clearer statement. Don’t be putting words in anybody’s mouth.

Grim

What words? Literally, did I say “You said…”?.