II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1092 

To protect the right of law-abiding citizens to transport knives interstate, 

notwithstanding a patchwork of local and State prohibitions. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

MAY 10, 2017 

Mr. ENZI (for himself, Mr. WYDEN, Mr. DAINES, Mr. HEINRICH, Mr. RISCH, 

and Mr. MANCHIN) introduced the following bill; which was read twice 

and referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To protect the right of law-abiding citizens to transport 

knives interstate, notwithstanding a patchwork of local 

and State prohibitions. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Interstate Transport 

5 Act of 2017’’. 

6 SEC. 2. INTERSTATE TRANSPORTATION OF KNIVES. 

7 (a) TRANSPORT OF KNIVES.—Notwithstanding any 

8 other provision of any law or any rule or regulation of 

9 a State or any political subdivision thereof, any person 


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1 who is not otherwise prohibited by any Federal law, rule, 

2 or regulation from transporting, shipping, or receiving a 

3 knife shall be entitled to transport a knife for any lawful 

4 purpose from any place where the person may lawfully 

5 possess and carry such knife to any other place where the 

6 person may lawfully possess and carry such knife if— 

7 (1) in the case of a mode of transportation sub8 ject to rules and regulations of the Transportation 

9 Security Administration or the Coast Guard, the in10 dividual complies with all applicable rules and regu11 lations of the Transportation Security Administra12 tion or the Coast Guard, respectively; and 

13 (2) in the case of a mode of transportation not 

14 subject to rules and regulations of the Transpor15 tation Security Administration or the Coast Guard, 

16 during such transportation, any such knife that is 

17 being transported and that is not legal for the per18 son to possess in a jurisdiction through which the 

19 person is traveling— 

20 (A) is not readily accessible or directly ac21 cessible from the passenger compartment of the 

22 mode of transportation; or 

23 (B) in the case of a mode of transportation 

24 without a compartment separate from the pas25 senger compartment, is contained in a locked 


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1 container other than the glove compartment or 

2 console. 

3 (b) EMERGENCY KNIVES.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—An individual— 

5 (A) may carry in the passenger compart6 ment of a mode of transportation a knife or 

7 tool— 

8 (i) the blades of which consist only of 

9 a blunt tipped safety blade, a guarded 

10 blade, or both; and 

11 (ii) that is specifically designed for en12 abling escape in an emergency by cutting 

13 safety belts; and 

14 (B) shall not be required to secure a knife 

15 or tool described in subparagraph (A) in any 

16 locked container. 

17 (2) LIMITATION.—This subsection shall not 

18 apply to the transport of a knife or tool by a mode 

19 of transportation that is subject to rules and regula20 tions of the Transportation Security Administration 

21 or the Coast Guard. 

22 (c) NO ARREST OR DETENTION.—An individual who 

23 is transporting a knife in compliance with this section may 

24 not be arrested or otherwise detained for violation of any 

25 law, rule, or regulation of a State or political subdivision 


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1 of a State related to the possession, transport, or carrying 

2 of a knife, unless there is probable cause to believe that 

3 the individual is not in compliance with subsection (a). 

4 (d) CLAIM OR DEFENSE.—An individual may assert 

5 this section as a claim or defense in any civil or criminal 

6 action or proceeding. When an individual asserts this sec7 tion as a claim or defense in a criminal proceeding, the 

8 State or political subdivision shall have the burden of prov9 ing, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the individual was 

10 not in compliance with subsection (a). 

11 (e) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec12 tion shall be construed to limit any right to possess, carry, 

13 or transport a knife under applicable State law. 

Æ 


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