Today, Louisiana House Bill 186 and Senate Bill 212 took effect. The duplicative bills, which were introduced by Rep. Cameron Henry (R-82) and Sen. Rick Ward III (R-17), were signed by Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-LA) at the end of May. Supported by the ASA, NRA-ILA, and Louisiana Shooting Association (LSA), the measures have extended the purview of suppressor hunting to all game animals in the state. The new laws mark a major step in the right direction for hunters across the country who wish to protect their hearing.
Louisiana joins Georgia as the second state in 2014 to enact suppressor hunting for all game animals. A similar measure is set to take effect in Alabama in October, despite previous assurances that it would take effect in mid-June. Unlike Georgia and Alabama, prior to the passage of the new law, Louisiana statute allowed for the use of suppressors while hunting non-game animals. Currently, of the 32 states in which suppressor hunting is legal, Montana is the only state which restricts their use to non-game animals. For a full map, visit the ASA’s website.
The American Suppressor Association would like to thank Gov. Jindal for signing HB 186 and SB 212 into law, as well as Rep. Henry and Sen. Ward for sponsoring the bills. We would also like to thank everyone who took the time to contact their legislators in support of these measures. In addition, we would like to thank the NRA-ILA, LSA, Lipsey’s, and Red Jacket Firearms for having gone above and beyond in support of this legislation. Without everyone’s support, this would not have been feasible.
The ASA looks forward to continuing to work towards our goal of legalizing suppressor ownership and hunting in all 50 states. We would like to thank Louisiana for taking us all one step closer.
