MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — A Tuscaloosa lawmaker wants to do away with the requirement for permits to carry a concealed handgun in Alabama.

Republican Sen. Gerald Allen filed the legislation Wednesday ahead of the legislative session that beings in February.

Allen says the current permit requirement is an unnecessary burden on gun owners. People can carry rifles without a permit.

Currently, a person must undergo a background check to obtain a concealed carry permit for a handgun.

The outlook for the bill is unclear. The bill is supported by the National Rifle Association, but it’s expected to be opposed by law enforcement officers.

Law enforcement representatives in past sessions opposed efforts to allow people to carry loaded pistols in vehicles without a permit.

The session begins Feb. 7.

A recent report by the Crime Prevention Research Center shows the 25 states with the highest rates of concealed carry permit owners experienced significantly lower rates of murder and violent crime.

“The type of person that would go through the process, one in which you can often lose the license for fairly trivial offenses,” said Crime Prevention Research Center President John Lott. “They are reluctant to use the the guns in a wrong way because they have a lot to lose if they do something wrong.”