After it seems to have failed the first go around the HPA or Hearing Protection Act has been resubmitted to congress! Lets hope this time it makes it through!
According to the American Suppressor Association on January 3rd, the first day of the 116th Congress, Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-SC-03) introduced the Hearing Protection Act (HPA) of 2019. An enhanced version of previous HPA’s, this legislation includes several suppressor related technical amendments that were first incorporated into the SHARE Act of 2017. The primary focus of the bill is to remove suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA), making it easier for law-abiding hunters and sportsmen to protect their hearing while at the range or in the field.
“The Hearing Protection Act is a commonsense bill that is important to all sportsmen and women across the country,” said Rep. Duncan. “Personally, I have experienced hearing damage from firearm noise, and I believe easier access to suppressors may have prevented much of this damage from early on in my life. Bottom line, this bill aims to fix this health issue that has already been addressed by many other countries. Now is the time to ensure sportsmen and women can have the safety and protection they need while hunting and shooting.”
Originally introduced by Rep. Matt Salmon (R-AZ-05) in 2015, the Hearing Protection Act has garnered national attention for nearly four years. However, this year marks the first time that the HPA will be introduced into a Democrat-controlled House of Representatives.
“Regardless of who holds power in DC, the American Suppressor Association believes that citizens should not have to pay a tax to protect their hearing while exercising their Second Amendment rights,” said Knox Williams, President and Executive Director of ASA. “With anti-suppressor legislators now in control of the House, the path to passage of the HPA is now exponentially harder than it was before. It may take years, but we at ASA, along with Rep. Duncan and his tremendous staff, will not stop working until we get suppressors out of NFA where they belong.”
Suppressors are one of the most misunderstood tools in existence. They have been federally regulated since the passage of the National Firearms Act of 1934. In order to purchase a suppressor, prospective buyers must live in a state where suppressors are legal, send in an application including fingerprints and passport photos to the ATF, pay a $200 transfer tax, notify their local Chief Law Enforcement Officer (CLEO), and wait…
You can view the new Hearing Protection Act bill Here
