COLUMBIA — Lawmakers in South Carolina are considering legislation that would allow permit holders from Georgia to carry concealed weapons as they would in Georgia.

A bill has advanced this week that would allow South Carolina to join 19 other states in accepting each other’s concealed weapons permits through a reciprocal agreement.  A South Carolina House Committee approved the measure, unanimously, despite concerns expressed by gun control advocates.

“The people with concealed-weapon permits are the good guys,” said Clemmons, R-Myrtle Beach in and article posted in the Florida Times Union. “If I am a legal concealed-weapon permit holder in Georgia, and I cross the state line into South Carolina, then I’ve committed a crime.”

South Carolina has an existing agreement with 20 other states, including Florida, but no with Georgia.  There is no gun-safety educational requirement in Georgia, however residents seeking the permit must submit to fingerprint registration.  Many consider South Carolina’s law the “gold standard” due to its high requirement threshold.  In 2014, 948 applications were denied in South Carolina with a further 895 being revoked.

Further, South Carolina provides a centralized permit system whereas Georgia’s is fragmented to each county’s probate court.

The measure still has much debate to endure before being passed.