Hearing Protection Act

Stuohn101 · May 22, 2025, 03:25 PM

So now that the Reconciliation Bill or "One, Big Beautiful Bill" has passed the House with the Hearing Protection Act included (removing suppressors from the NFA). What are the chances the senate will allow this through without revision (just removing the tax or some other nonsense)? Will the states then be allowed to designate if allowed? Any other pitfall I'm not seeing. Apologies if this is wrong place to post.

armoredman · May 22, 2025, 05:16 PM

I don't know, but hopeful. We've never made it this far before, and it may be a long time before we get another chance.
States will still get pre-emption, unfortunately. Here in AZ the law is written so poorly that when it outlawed suppressors and SBS/SBR it said the exception would be guns and suppressors transferred in accordance with federal law. If the law says suppressors are now an accessory you can order over the internet, well, that's in accordance with federal law, right?

**44 AMP** · May 23, 2025, 02:19 PM

Last heard was some internet news, last week (not reliable at all) that the bill was "passed" but they kept "silencers" as NFA items, but removed the $2OO TAX.

Have no verifiable information on it, at this time, sorry.

dogtown tom · May 23, 2025, 08:44 PM

The Hearing Protection Act is nowhere close to a floor vote.
Still sitting in Committee since January

Congress is considering a budget reconciliation which has limits on what can be addressed.
Removing the tax on silencers is under consideration.

Unlike actual bills, reconciliation only needs fifty votes in the Senate to pass.

armoredman · May 24, 2025, 04:41 PM

The language of some of the HPA was added to the "big, beautiful bill", everything except the preemption statute, so it would completely remove suppressors from NFA, and they then would only be regulated under GCA 68, and treated like firearms, 4473 and background check. Also, home builds would be legal.
The BBB also included a fail-safe in case the Demonrats Bryd Rule the HPA, which they 100% will do, and the failsafe only reduces the tax to $0, which is perfectly legal under a reconciliation bill. So, the chance that the HPA in its current form in the BBB will pass is...slim. The chance the SHORT act will be both added in and survive? Slimmer. The chance that the reduction of the tax goes to $0? Quite good, but the next time the Demionrats have control they will jack up NFA taxes to $500,000 each.

Hellcat1 · May 24, 2025, 05:08 PM

Unfortunately, it seems that none of what's being proposed will help us here in RI. Currently, suppressors are specifically cited as being illegal, regardless of whether they fall under the NFA or not (as are all other NFA items):

"§ 11-47-20. Sale or possession of silencers.

It shall be unlawful within this state to manufacture, sell, purchase, or possess any muffler, silencer, or device for deadening or muffling the sound of a firearm when discharged; provided, however, that law enforcement officers utilizing said devices while acting within the scope of their official duties, as tactical teams and under the direct supervision of the police chief or the colonel of the state police or their designee, shall not be in violation of this section. Violations of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year and one day."

Frank

May 22, 2025, 03:25 PM	#1
Stuohn101 Junior Member Join Date: August 28, 2020 Posts: 5	Hearing Protection Act So now that the Reconciliation Bill or "One, Big Beautiful Bill" has passed the House with the Hearing Protection Act included (removing suppressors from the NFA). What are the chances the senate will allow this through without revision (just removing the tax or some other nonsense)? Will the states then be allowed to designate if allowed? Any other pitfall I'm not seeing. Apologies if this is wrong place to post.

May 23, 2025, 02:19 PM	#3
44 AMP Staff Join Date: March 11, 2006 Location: Upper US Posts: 30,438	Last heard was some internet news, last week (not reliable at all) that the bill was "passed" but they kept "silencers" as NFA items, but removed the $2OO TAX. Have no verifiable information on it, at this time, sorry. __________________ All else being equal (and it almost never is) bigger bullets tend to work better.

May 23, 2025, 08:44 PM	#4
dogtown tom Senior Member Join Date: January 23, 2006 Location: Plano, Texas Posts: 3,233	The Hearing Protection Act is nowhere close to a floor vote. Still sitting in Committee since January Congress is considering a budget reconciliation which has limits on what can be addressed. Removing the tax on silencers is under consideration. Unlike actual bills, reconciliation only needs fifty votes in the Senate to pass. __________________ Need a FFL in Dallas/Plano/Allen/Frisco/McKinney ? Just EMAIL me. $20 transfers ($10 for CHL, active military,police,fire or schoolteachers) Plano, Texas...........the Gun Nut Capitol of Gun Culture, USA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pELwCqz2JfE

May 22, 2025, 05:16 PM	#2
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,478	I don't know, but hopeful. We've never made it this far before, and it may be a long time before we get another chance. States will still get pre-emption, unfortunately. Here in AZ the law is written so poorly that when it outlawed suppressors and SBS/SBR it said the exception would be guns and suppressors transferred in accordance with federal law. If the law says suppressors are now an accessory you can order over the internet, well, that's in accordance with federal law, right?

May 24, 2025, 04:41 PM	#5
armoredman Senior Member Join Date: May 22, 2007 Location: Arizona Posts: 5,478	The language of some of the HPA was added to the "big, beautiful bill", everything except the preemption statute, so it would completely remove suppressors from NFA, and they then would only be regulated under GCA 68, and treated like firearms, 4473 and background check. Also, home builds would be legal. The BBB also included a fail-safe in case the Demonrats Bryd Rule the HPA, which they 100% will do, and the failsafe only reduces the tax to $0, which is perfectly legal under a reconciliation bill. So, the chance that the HPA in its current form in the BBB will pass is...slim. The chance the SHORT act will be both added in and survive? Slimmer. The chance that the reduction of the tax goes to $0? Quite good, but the next time the Demionrats have control they will jack up NFA taxes to $500,000 each.

May 24, 2025, 05:08 PM	#6
Hellcat1 Senior Member Join Date: January 30, 2022 Posts: 117	Unfortunately, it seems that none of what's being proposed will help us here in RI. Currently, suppressors are specifically cited as being illegal, regardless of whether they fall under the NFA or not (as are all other NFA items): "§ 11-47-20. Sale or possession of silencers. It shall be unlawful within this state to manufacture, sell, purchase, or possess any muffler, silencer, or device for deadening or muffling the sound of a firearm when discharged; provided, however, that law enforcement officers utilizing said devices while acting within the scope of their official duties, as tactical teams and under the direct supervision of the police chief or the colonel of the state police or their designee, shall not be in violation of this section. Violations of this section shall be punished by imprisonment for not less than one year and one day." Frank