ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia lawmakers will debate new rules that could allow more mentally ill people to legally carry firearms.
Amendments made to the plan Wednesday may blunt some of the impact.
The issue has surfaced as House Republicans are pushing for legislation that would permit school districts to arm their employees and generally give people more freedom to carry firearms.
Right now, judges can refuse to issue a license to carry a gun to anyone who has received inpatient treatment at mental hospitals or drug treatment centers within five years. Legislation from Jasper Republican Rep. Rick Jasperse would allow those patients to receive a license so long as they were not involuntarily hospitalized in the prior five years.
The bill would make it easier for judges to check some mental health history.
