Republicans in Congress are making another effort to deregulate firearm suppressors, devices designed to protect shooters’ hearing, which other civilized countries have not only permitted but encouraged for years.
Introduced by U.S. Rep. Mike Lee, R-Utah, the “Silencers Help Us Save Hearing Act,” aka SHUSH Act, would change current law and treat silencers the same as other firearms accessories.
Senate cosponsors of the SHUSH Act include Republican Sens. Rick Scott of Florida, Pete Rickets of Nebraska, Roger Marshall of Kansas and John Curtis of Utah. The measure is being supported by the NRA, the National Association for Gun Rights (NAGR), GOA and the NSSF.
“Despite what Hollywood may lead you to believe, silencers aren’t silent, and they aren’t just for secret agents,” Sen. Lee said in a press release announcing the legislation. “They are a vital tool for hearing protection for countless marksmen and gun enthusiasts across America, and making them prohibitively difficult to obtain is an assault on the Second Amendment. The SHUSH Act eliminates federal regulation of silencers and treats them as the non-lethal accessory that they are.”
Aidan Johnston, director of government affairs for GOA, said the measure is much needed for hunters, shooters and the Second Amendment.
“Gun Owners of America applauds the introduction of the ‘Silencers Helping Us Save Hearing Act’ (SHUSH) Act,” Johnston said. “The SHUSH Act would not only remove suppressors from the federal regulations of the National Firearms Act but also treat suppressors as any other firearm accessory—free from the infringing background check process. Sen. Lee’s bill will not only benefit hunters and sport shooters but also take much-needed steps for gun owners to restore the rights protected by the Second Amendment.”
While Rep. Lee pushes his SHUSH Act, Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho, has introduced the Hearing Protection Act, S. 364, in the U.S. Senate. The act would remove firearm suppressors from the list of definitions under the 1934 National Firearms Act (NFA) so purchasers would only have to undergo the same background check as when purchasing a firearm.
Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel, said his organization is wholeheartedly backing the measure.
“Senator Mike Crapo’s Hearing Protection Act will have the federal government recognize firearm suppressors as accessories to a firearm that make recreational shooting and hunting a safer experience,” Keane said. “These safety devices reduce the report of a firearm to a level that won’t cause instant and permanent hearing damage. Despite Hollywood’s depictions, they do not silence the sound of a firearm.”
Keane further said that the focus should be on removing barriers to safe and responsible use of firearms and dedicating resources to ensuring actual firearms are safeguarded from those who should never possess them.
“Strict regulatory control of firearm accessories, and the parts of those accessories that have no bearing on the function of a firearm, is unnecessary and not the wisest use of federal resources,” he said. “NSSF thanks Sen. Crapo for his leadership for ensuring safe and responsible use of firearms and dedicating necessary resources where they are most needed.”
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