Earlier today, the West Virginia House voted unanimously, 99-0, to pass an NRA and ASA backed “Shall-Sign” bill which will ensure that all law abiding West Virginians have the ability to purchase and own suppressors. Senate Bill 284, sponsored by Sen. David Nohe (R-03), passed the Senate on February 4th on a unanimous 33-0 vote. Now that the House has also unanimously approved the bill, it will head to Governor Earl Ray Tomblin’s desk.
SB 284 is part of a nation-wide effort the ASA is undertaking, with help from the NRA, to pass “Shall Sign” or “Shall Certify” legislation across the country. This issue became a top priority for the American Suppressor Association following the Obama Administration’s Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, Docket No. ATF 41P. This is the executive action which seeks to extend the CLEO signoff requirement to every member of every NFA trust and legal entity.
When the National Firearms Act of 1934 was signed into law, computerized background checks did not exist. At that time, the CLEO signoff was the only means by which individuals applying for a transfer of an NFA item could be vetted. Since 1934, technology has come full circle, but the now antiquated CLEO signoff requirement has remained. Many CLEOs refuse to sign NFA applications, basing their refusal on perceived liability or on purely political reasons. Shall Sign legislation fixes these issues, ensuring that law abiding citizens in the state receive their CLEO signature within a reasonable amount of time.
We now need your help to ensure that this vital piece of legislation becomes law in West Virginia. Please contact Gov. Earl Ray Tomblin and respectfully urge him to sign SB 284. His contact information is below:
http://www.governor.wv.gov/Pages/contact.aspx
As always, the American Suppressor Association will continue to work tirelessly to ensure that your suppressor rights are protected and expanded, both in West Virginia and Nation-wide. We will keep you updated as pro-suppressor legislation advances.
This Post Has 2 Comments
I’m all for a suppressor especially on my 270 wsm this thing will rearrange you’re tabogin man, but I’m concerned about our officers that a person may have the upper hand on them in certain circumstances
David, We understand your concern. Our belief is that criminal misuse of firearms should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. In our research, of the over 900,000 suppressors currently registered and possessed in the US by responsible gun owners, there are just two documented cases of a legally possessed suppressor being used in a criminal act in the 83 years since the NFA was enacted. While some may say that it proves the onerous requirements imposed by the NFA work, we believe that it just proves that law abiding citizens follow the law, and those that are intent on breaking the law and causing harm to others are not concerned with legally obtaining suppressors.
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