VA Announces Change To Protect Veterans’ Second Amendment Rights

TheDepartmentofVeteransAffairs(VA)saysitwillstopreportingsomeveteranstoafederalfirearmsdatabase,reversingadecades‑oldpracticeitnowsaysviolatedconstitutionalrights. WhyItMatters Fordecades,veteranswhoneededhelpmanagingtheirVAbenefitsriskedlosingtheirrighttoownafirearmwithoutacourtruling.  TheVAnowsaysthatthepracticelackedproperlegalandconstitutionalsafeguards. WhatToKnow TheVAhasannounceditwillnolongerreportveteranstotheFBI’sNationalInstantCriminalBackgroundCheckSystem(NICS)solelybecausetheyrequireafiduciarytohelpmanagetheirVAbenefitsinanactionitdescribedasa“majorstep”tocorrecta“three-decade-oldwrong.” Thechangetakeseffectimmediately. VAsaidthepreviouspolicyhadresultedinmanyveteransintheFiduciaryProgrambeingclassifiedas“prohibitedpersons,”despitenojudicialorquasi‑judicialdeterminationthattheyposedadangertothemselvesorothers. AfterareviewconductedinconsultationwiththeU.S.DepartmentofJustic