WASHINGTON (CNN) - The Senate voted Wednesday to allow licensed gun owners to transport their firearms when traveling on Amtrak. The 68 to 30 vote prohibits any federal funding of Amtrak unless it allows individuals to bring their guns on trains in a manner similar to that of airlines. The measure, sponsored by Sen. Roger Wicker of Mississippi, is an amendment to the Transportation and Housing appropriations bill.
The measure lays out these guidelines:
-Before checking the bag or boarding the train, the passenger must declare that the firearm or pistol is in his or her bag and is unloaded.
-The firearm or pistol must be carried in a hard-sided container.
-The hard-sided container must be locked and only the passenger has the combination or key for the container.
The House passed its version of the Transportation and Housing appropriations bill in July, which did not include a provision to allow guns on Amtrak.
This isn't the first time Wicker has introduced this measure: It was adopted by similar bipartisan support earlier this year during debate on the budget resolution, only to be removed during final House-Senate negotiations.
