WASHINGTON, D.C. – On June 16th, Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) reintroduced S. 2050, the Hearing Protection Act (HPA), in the 117th Congress. The Senate companion bill to Rep. Jeff Duncan’s (R-SC-03) H.R. 95, this legislation seeks to remove suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA), making it easier for law-abiding citizens to protect their hearing while exercising their Second Amendment rights.
Along with Sen. Crapo, 14 additional Senators have signed on as original cosponsors: Sen. John Boozman (R-AR), Sen. Mike Braun (R-IN), Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), Sen. Jim Inhofe (R-OK), Sen. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK), Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS), Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS), Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), and Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC).
Originally introduced in the Senate by Sen. Crapo in 2015, the Hearing Protection Act has garnered national attention for nearly six years. However, this year marks the first time that the HPA will be introduced into a unilaterally Democrat-controlled Congress. With anti-suppressor legislators now in control of the White House and both chambers of Congress, the path to passage of the HPA is now exponentially harder than it was before. Regardless of who holds power in DC, the American Suppressor Association (ASA) will not stop working until suppressors are no longer in the NFA.
“Law abiding Americans enjoying the recreational freedoms provided under the Second Amendment should not have to wade through overly-burdensome regulations in order to protect their hearing,” Crapo said. “The common Hollywood-portrayed misconceptions about suppressors are not grounded in factual science, and create unnecessary burdens on responsible gun owners. The Hearing Protection Act will benefit Idaho’s sportswomen and men by ensuring they have adequate hearing protection needed while hunting and participating in other recreational shooting sports.”
“The scientific consensus is in: suppressors help protect hearing,” said Knox Williams, President and Executive Director of the American Suppressor Association. “That’s why the CDC, NIOSH, and the National Hearing Conservation Association all recommend suppressors as a tool to help mitigate preventable hearing damage. If enacted, Senator Crapo’s Hearing Protection Act would have a more profound impact on hearing safety than any other legislation in decades. It’s time for the Senate to follow Senator Crapo’s leadership, listen to the experts at the CDC, and pass this common-sense legislation.”
The terms “silencer” and “suppressor” refer to the same thing – a muffler for a firearm. Contrary to popular belief, no tool will ever be able to make a gunshot silent. Outside of the context of shooting, nothing will even be able to make them quiet. Guns are simply too loud.
That is why the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) all recommend suppressors as a tool to mitigate preventable hearing damage.
The Hearing Protection Act is a common-sense step that aligns with the 42 states where private suppressor ownership is currently legal, and the 40 states where hunting with a suppressor is legal. This legislation seeks to remove suppressors from the onerous requirements of the NFA, and instead require purchasers to pass an instant NICS check, the same background check that is used during the sale of long guns. In doing so, law-abiding citizens will remain free to purchase suppressors, while prohibited persons will continue to be barred from purchasing or possessing these accessories.
About The American Suppressor Association
The American Suppressor Association (ASA) is the unified voice of the suppressor community. We exist for one reason and one reason only: to fight for pro-suppressor reform nationwide.
The ability of the American Suppressor Association to fight for pro-suppressor reform is tied directly to our ability to fundraise. Since the ASA’s formation in 2011, 3 states have legalized suppressor ownership and 18 states have legalized suppressor hunting. Much of this would not have happened without your support. For more information on how you can join us in the fight to help protect and expand your right to own and use suppressors, visit www.AmericanSuppressorAssociation.com.
