Carbondale Reporter

U.S. Representative Mike Bost, serving Illinois' 12th District, has introduced legislation aimed at protecting veterans from losing their firearms when seeking assistance from the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). The bill, known as House Resolution 1041 or the Veterans Second Amendment Protection Act, seeks to limit the information that the VA can release when veterans request help with finances or benefits. In a Facebook post on February 7, Bost said that the current system "isn't right."

"Our veterans put their lives on the line to protect our freedoms," said Bost, according to Facebook. "It should infuriate all of us when they have their freedoms taken away when they return home. Well, when the VA determines a veteran needs help managing their finances, that veteran's personal information is forwarded for a background check that could see them lose access to their firearms. Losing their Second Amendment rights because they need help with their finances?"

According to a dedicated website for the bill, it was referred to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs on February 6 and currently has 42 Republican cosponsors. A news release from the committee explains that the bill addresses concerns that veterans seeking financial or benefits assistance risk losing their firearms under existing laws. Since 1993, veterans who have approached the VA for help have been reported to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), preventing them from purchasing weapons.

Screenshot of U.S. Rep. Mike Bost's Feb. 7 Facebook post | U.S. Rep Mike Bost's Facebook page

Bost, who chairs the House Committee on Veterans Affairs, noted that many veterans have expressed concerns about these reporting measures discouraging them from seeking necessary mental health care. This is not Bost's first attempt to restrict VA information sent to NICS; in 2023, a similar bill passed in the U.S. Senate following an amendment sponsored by Bost in the House.

Bost has represented Illinois’ 12th District since January 6, 2015. A resident of Murphysboro for his entire life, he has extensive experience in state politics and served as House Republican Caucus Chair in Illinois' State House of Representatives for two decades. His background includes service in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1979-1982 and work at Bost Trucking Service before joining Murphysboro Fire Department after completing firefighter training at the University of Illinois’ Certified Firefighter II Academy in 1993.