U.S. GOVERNMENT PUBLISHING OFFICE

WASHINGTON : 

1 

49–010 

" ! SENATE 

114TH CONGRESS

1st Session 

REPORT

2015

114–121 

Calendar No. 201 

KNIFE OWNERS’ PROTECTION ACT OF 2015 

R E P O R T 

OF THE

COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND 

TRANSPORTATION 

ON

S. 1315 

AUGUST 28, 2015.—Ordered to be printed 


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(II) 

SENATE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE, SCIENCE, AND TRANSPORTATION 

ONE HUNDRED FOURTEENTH CONGRESS

FIRST SESSION

JOHN THUNE, South Dakota, Chairman 

ROGER F. WICKER, Mississippi BILL NELSON, Florida 

ROY BLUNT, Missouri MARIA CANTWELL, Washington 

MARCO RUBIO, Florida CLAIRE MCCASKILL, Missouri 

KELLY AYOTTE, New Hampshire AMY KLOBUCHAR, Minnesota 

TED CRUZ, Texas RICHARD BLUMENTHAL, Connecticut 

DEB FISCHER, Nebraska BRIAN SCHATZ, Hawaii 

JERRY MORAN, Kansas ED MARKEY, Massachusetts 

DAN SULLIVAN, Alaska CORY BOOKER, New Jersey 

RON JOHNSON, Wisconsin TOM UDALL, New Mexico 

DEAN HELLER, Nevada JOE MANCHIN, West Virginia 

CORY GARDNER, Colorado GARY PETERS, Michigan 

STEVE DAINES, Montana 

DAVID SCHWIETERT, Staff Director 

NICK ROSSI, Deputy Staff Director 

REBECCA SEIDEL, General Counsel 

KIM LIPSKY, Democratic Staff Director 

CHRISTOPHER DAY, Democratic Deputy Staff Director 

CLINT ODOM, Democratic General Counsel 


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1 American Knife & Tool Institute, ‘‘AKTI’s Improved Bipartisan U.S. Act to Protect Traveling 

Knife Owners Introduced,’’ press release, February 25, 2015, at http://www.akti.org/news/aktisimproved-bipartisan-u-s-act-to-protect-traveling-knife-owners-introduced/. 

Calendar No. 201 

114TH CONGRESS REPORT " ! SENATE 1st Session 114–121 

KNIFE OWNERS’ PROTECTION ACT OF 2015 

AUGUST 28, 2015.—Ordered to be printed 

Mr. THUNE, from the Committee on Commerce, Science, and 

Transportation, submitted the following 

R E P O R T 

[To accompany S. 1315] 

The Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, to 

which was referred the bill (S. 1315) to protect the right of lawabiding citizens to transport knives interstate, notwithstanding a 

patchwork of local and State prohibitions, having considered the 

same, reports favorably thereon without amendment and recommends that the bill do pass. 

PURPOSE OF THE BILL

The purpose of S. 1315, is to allow for certain interstate transportation of knives by law-abiding citizens. 

BACKGROUND AND NEEDS

Currently, Federal, State, and local laws govern the sale, possession, manufacture, or carrying of knives. Oftentimes these laws 

vary widely by jurisdiction and can be inconsistent. This patchwork 

of regulations makes it difficult for a law-abiding knife owner to 

travel freely between States. 

For example, the American Knife & Tool Institute reports that 

a member who was traveling by air on a hunting trip had an unscheduled flight diversion to New York City. While at the airport 

on this unplanned layover, he was arrested for possession of an illegal knife in his checked luggage even though the knife was secured and legal in his scheduled origin and destination.1


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2 18 U.S.C. 926A 

To address this type of circumstance, S. 1315 was introduced to 

allow knife owners to travel between two locations where the possession of the knife is legal. The Knife Owners’ Protection Act of 

2015 (KOPA) is modeled after the Firearms Owners’ Protection 

Act,2 which Congress enacted in 1986 to address similar traveling 

difficulties law-abiding firearm owners were facing. When a knife 

owner is traveling by motor vehicle, KOPA would require that the 

knife not be directly accessible from the passenger compartment or, 

if the motor vehicle has no separate compartment, that the knife 

be kept in a closed container, glove compartment, or console. During air travel, aviation security regulations via the Transportation 

Security Administration (TSA) will continue to provide guidance for 

the secure transport of any knife, and the bill is not intended to 

impact current Amtrak rules governing the transportation of a 

knife. In all other modes of travel, the knife must be kept in a 

closed container. 

SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS

The Knife Owners’ Protection Act of 2015 would allow law-abiding citizens to legally transport knives interstate under certain circumstances. If enacted, KOPA would: 

∑ provide a lawful means for the transport of a knife between 

two jurisdictions where the possession of the knife is legal by the 

individual transporting the knife; 

∑ set reasonable accessibility standards during transport with a 

knife; and 

∑ ensure that law-abiding citizens following KOPA standards 

cannot be arrested or detained for violation of any law, rule, or regulation of a State or political subdivision of a State related to the 

possession, transport, or carrying of a knife unless there is probable cause they are in violation of KOPA. 

LEGISLATIVE HISTORY

KOPA was introduced by Senator Enzi on May 13, 2015. Senators Wyden, Thune, Manchin, Lee, and Heinrich are cosponsors. 

On May 20, 2015, the Committee met in open Executive Session 

and, by a voice vote, ordered S. 1315 to be reported favorably. 

ESTIMATED COSTS

In accordance with paragraph 11(a) of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate and section 403 of the Congressional Budget 

Act of 1974, the Committee provides the following cost estimate, 

prepared by the Congressional Budget Office: 

S. 1315—Knife Owners’ Protection Act of 2015 

S. 1315 would allow people to possess knives in states where 

they are illegal if the person is travelling to and from states where 

the knife is legal, if the knife is secured, or if the knife is a safety 

blade designed for cutting seatbelts. Based on information provided 

by the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, 

CBO estimates that implementing S. 1315 would have no effect on 


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the federal budget. Because enacting S. 1315 would not affect direct spending or revenues, pay-as-you-go procedures do not apply. 

S. 1315 would impose an intergovernmental mandate as defined 

in the Unfunded Mandates Reform Act (UMRA) by preempting 

some state and local laws related to possessing and transporting 

knives. Laws regulating knives vary from state to state. The costs 

for state and local governments to comply with that mandate would 

include the cost to change protocols and train law enforcement officers. CBO estimates the total costs for state and local governments 

would be small and would not exceed the threshold established in 

UMRA ($77 million in 2015, adjusted annually for inflation). 

S. 1315 contains no private-sector mandates as defined in 

UMRA. 

The CBO staff contacts for this estimate are Mark Grabowicz 

and Ben Christopher (for federal costs) and Melissa Merrell (for the 

intergovernmental mandate). The estimate was approved by Theresa Gullo, Assistant Director for Budget Analysis. 

REGULATORY IMPACT

Because S. 1315 does not create any new programs, the legislation will have no additional regulatory impact, and will result in 

no additional reporting requirements. The legislation will have no 

further effect on the number or types of individuals and businesses 

regulated, the economic impact of such regulation, the personal privacy of affected individuals, or the paperwork required from such 

individuals and businesses. 

CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED SPENDING

In compliance with paragraph 4(b) of rule XLIV of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee provides that no provisions 

contained in the bill, as reported, meet the definition of congressionally directed spending items under the rule. 

SECTION-BY-SECTION ANALYSIS

Section 1. Short title. 

This section would provide the short title of the bill, the Knife 

Owners’ Protection Act of 2015. 

Section 2. Interstate transport of knives. 

This section would allow an individual who is lawfully allowed 

to possess, transport, ship, or receive a knife at a starting location 

to transport that knife to any other location where that individual 

is allowed to possess, transport, ship, or receive the knife. 

During the transportation of a knife by motor vehicle, the knife 

would not be allowed to be accessible from inside the passenger 

compartment. If that is not possible, the knife must be contained 

in a closed container, glove compartment, or console. During the 

transportation of a knife in all other modes of transport, the knife 

would be required to be in a closed container. 

An exception would be provided for the transportation of a knife 

to enable the escape in an emergency (for instance, to cut a seat 

belt). But the exception would not apply for an individual who is 

subject to airport screening procedures of the TSA. 


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The Act would prohibit the arrest or detention of an individual 

who is transporting a knife in compliance with this Act unless 

there is probable cause to believe that the individual was not in 

compliance with the Act. It also would allow an individual to assert 

this Act as a claim or defense in any civil or criminal proceeding. 

Violations of this Act would have to be proved beyond a reasonable 

doubt. 

Nothing in this Act would limit the right of an individual to possess, carry, or transport a knife under applicable State law. 

CHANGES IN EXISTING LAW

In compliance with paragraph 12 of rule XXVI of the Standing 

Rules of the Senate, the Committee states that the bill as reported 

would make no change to existing law. 

Æ 


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