Interstate Transport Act

Summary#

This bill allows people who are not barred by federal law from possessing knives to carry or move knives across State lines for lawful purposes. It defines "transport" to include stops for food, fuel, overnight stays, delays, and similar travel activities, but not travel when the person intends to commit a serious violent felony. For travel by motor vehicle, a knife must not be directly accessible from the passenger area, or it must be in a locked container if the vehicle has no separate compartment. For other travel (including travel on or through water), the knife must be in a locked container. The bill allows certain emergency knives and tools that are blunt‑tipped or guarded and designed to cut safety belts to be carried in the passenger compartment without being locked. The rules do not change Transportation Security Administration rules for passenger aircraft. A person who follows these rules cannot be arrested under State or local knife possession or transport rules unless there is probable cause they are not following the bill's requirements. If a person uses this law as a defense and wins, the court must award costs and reasonable attorney fees to that person. In criminal cases where the person prevails on the claim or defense, the court must order expungement of official records related to the arrest and prosecution for that offense.

What it means for you#

• If you are legally allowed under federal law to have a knife, you can transport it across State lines for lawful reasons when you follow the storage rules in the bill.
• In a car, keep the knife out of the passenger compartment or locked in a container if the vehicle has no separate compartment.
• If you travel by other means or on water, keep the knife in a locked container.
• You may carry a specially designed blunt‑tipped emergency cutting tool in the passenger area without locking it.
• The bill does not affect TSA rules for knives in aircraft cabins.
• If you comply with the bill and are charged under a State or local rule, you may not be arrested for that possession or transport unless there is probable cause you violated the bill's rules.
• If you win a claim under this law, a court must order costs and attorney fees and must expunge records in criminal cases.

Expenses#

The bill requires courts to award costs and reasonable attorney's fees to a person who asserts this section as a claim or defense and is the prevailing party. For criminal defendants who prevail, courts must order expungement of arrest and prosecution records for the offense at issue. No publicly available information on overall fiscal or budgetary impacts is included in the bill text or provided metadata.

Proponents' View#

The bill's stated purpose is to "protect the right of law‑abiding citizens to transport knives interstate, notwithstanding a patchwork of local and State prohibitions." This language is the bill's stated rationale as presented in the title and preamble.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.