Protecting the Second Amendment rights of certain rental property tenants is the goal of legislation recently introduced by U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra.

The Republican from Hull, who represents Webster County and all of its surrounding counties, proposed a measure that would make it illegal for owners or managers of rental properties receiving federal asistance to put restrictions on gun ownership by their tenants.

The legislation is called the Preserving Rights of Tenants by Ensuring Compliance to the Second Amendment Act.

”No tenant should have to sacrifice their constitutional right to bear arms due to their income level or the type of housing they inhabit,” Feenstra said in a written statement.

”Unfortunately, in some cases, landlords are able to place restrictions on tenants that infringe on their fundamental right to self-protection,” he added.

He said his bill would ”put a stop to this and uphold Second Amendment rights for all federally-assisted tenants.”

The bill would allow tenants to lawfully own a firearm in their home and to transport it through common areas of the building. It would also stop property managers who accept federal assistance from impeding a tenant’s rights to own firearms.

The bill has 39 co-sponsors. It awaits action by committees in the House of Representatives.