*** News/Call To Action - Illinois ***

The continuing push to legalize suppressors in Illinois: An interview with Knox Williams of the American Suppressor Association, where he urges gun owners to contact their state senators and ask them to support the legislation (Senate Bill 206). The bill has passed the state house and is waiting on a vote in the senate. The Governor has said he will sign it, if passed.

You can use the NRA's "Take Action" Tool to contact your state senator and urge them to support the bill.

https://youtu.be/lyy_kw-LPMs

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Storm,

*** News/Call To Action - Illinois ***

ASA - Illinois Suppressor Legislation Passes Committee Vote

SPRINGFIELD, IL - Senate Bill 206 has been passed in the Judiciary Committee in a 7-5 vote. It now heads to the full Senate for a floor vote. The Judiciary Hearing was placed on the calendar at 2:11pm, to be held at 4:00pm. ASA staff rushed to Springfield to continue to work the bill and gather support. ASA urges our supporters that live in Illinois to contact their senators and respectfully request them to support and vote YES on the bill. This is happening very quickly and we will provide updates through our social media channels as information becomes available.

NRA State Official Lookup Tool (Illinois)

American Suppressor Association on Facebook


Source: http://americansuppressorassoc...sses-committee-vote/

I did a progress post a few months back. It inspired me to go back a bit further in time and research what the lay of the land was a few months before I started making these maps.

In the period between March 1, 2012 and June 10, 2016,

14 states legalized the use of suppressors while hunting (Alabama, Arizona, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Texas, Wyoming)

3 states, which allowed limited hunting of non-game animals with suppressors, legalized suppressed hunting of all animals (Florida, Louisiana, Montana)

3 states legalized the possession of suppressors (Iowa, Minnesota, Vermont).

A total of 18 states liberalized their suppressor laws within a 4 year, 3 month period.

Of the 10 states left to work on, most are in the North-East. With the full or partial victories in Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, I think there's a good chance that a few more can be flipped, if not all of them.

March 01, 2012


June 10, 2016

*** Call To Action - Illinois ***

From the American Suppressor Association:

Alright folks in Illinois. It's time to get on the phone and email and contact your Senators and encourage them to bring SB206 to a vote and ask them to vote YES. Let's make Illinois the 43rd state to legalize suppressors! Please share this with your fellow gun owners in Illinois.

Source: https://www.facebook.com/ameri...sts/1300573230008943

*** Call To Action - Illinois ***

ASA - Illinois: Suppressor Bill Needs Your Help

For several years, the American Suppressor Association has worked alongside the National Rifle Association and members of the National Assembly of Sportsmen’s Caucuses on legislation to legalize the ownership and use of suppressors in the state of Illinois. Although the legislation was unable to pass in 2016, it has been reintroduced by state Senator William Haine as Senate Bill 50.

S.B. 50, which seeks to legalize suppressor ownership and use while hunting in Illinois, has been scheduled for a committee hearing on Wendesday, January 25th at 9:00 AM. If passed, it will bring Illinois in line with the 42 states that currently allow civilians to own suppressors, and the 40 states that allow hunters to use them in the field.

If you live in Illinois, it is important that you contact your state Senator and politely urge them to support SB 50. You can contact your state Senator by clicking the NRA-ILA’s link below:

NRA-ILA Tool

Also, please follow these steps to fill out a witness slip in support of S.B. 50:

1. Go to the ILGA Dashboard at my.ilga.gov
   
2. On the left, click “Senate” > “Committee Hearings”
   
3. Under “Scheduled Senate Committee Hearings” click “Week”
   
4. On the right, click the “View Hearing Details” tab for Criminal Law
   
5. On the right, click the “Create Witness Slip” tab for S.B. 50
   
6. Fill out the information. In Section III, check “Proponent”, and in Section IV, check “Record of Appearance Only”
   

Source: http://americansuppressorassoc...ill-needs-your-help/

*** News - California ***

A bill has been introduced in the California Senate to legalize the possession of suppressors and their use while hunting.

quote:

From the American Suppressor Association:
Sacramento, CA – On Friday, February 17th, State Senator Joel Anderson (R-38) introduced Senate Bill 710, a bill which seeks to legalize suppressor ownership and their use while hunting in California. The legislation, which is backed by the American Suppressor Association (ASA), is awaiting committee referral. It currently has five additional co-authors in the Senate, and two co-authors in the Assembly.

If enacted, SB 710 will bring California in line with the 42 states that currently allow civilians to own suppressors, and the 40 states that allow hunters to use them in the field. Since 2011, three states have legalized suppressor ownership, and 18 states have legalized suppressor hunting. As part of the ASA’s No State Left Behind campaign, similar legislation has been introduced in Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, and Vermont.

“Most of the country has already come to understand the health benefits to sportsmen and sportswomen from suppressors,” said Sen. Anderson, primary author of SB 710. “They are not the silencers depicted by Hollywood, but they do protect the hearing of sportsmen and women. That is why I am carrying this bill. Every time someone triggers their firearm without a suppressor or ear protection there is permanent hearing damage – it’s not a question of if, but how much. If this were any other industry, the government would demand such protection as they did with cars and mufflers. It’s the same technology. Situational awareness is a crucial safety aspect, which is why so many hunters choose to forego wearing ear protection. Suppressors are the answer, for these reasons and many others.”

According to multiple studies, between 70 to 80 percent of hunters never wear traditional hearing protection devices like earplugs or earmuffs while hunting, largely because they want the ability to hear their surroundings. These same studies found that just over half of recreational shooters reported consistently wearing hearing protection during target practice (Stewart et al, 2011).

In a 2011 study, entitled “Noise and Lead Exposures at an Outdoor Firing Range – California”, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) stated, “The only potentially effective noise control method to reduce students’ or instructors’ noise exposure from gunfire is through the use of noise suppressors that can be attached to the end of the gun barrel. However, some states do not permit civilians to use suppressors on firearms.” In a similar study from 2014 on noise exposure at shooting ranges, NIOSH recommended, “If feasible and legally permissible, attach noise suppressors to firearms to reduce peak sound pressure levels.”

“Hollywood’s depiction of suppressors might be entertaining, but it has no basis in reality,” said Knox Williams, President and Executive Director of the American Suppressor Association. “What is real is that hearing loss related to recreational firearm use is a widespread issue that suppressors can help fix. We applaud Senator Anderson for leading the charge to help protect the hearing of the millions of law abiding gun owners and hunters in the Golden State. We look forward to working with him to ensure that future generations of sportsmen and women in California are able to more effectively protect their hearing while at the range and in the field.”

Source: http://americansuppressorassoc...pressors-introduced/

*** Call To Action - New York ***

ASA - New York: Suppressor Bill Scheduled For Committee Hearing

On Wednesday, June 7th, the New York Senate Environmental Conservation Committee is scheduled to hear Senate Bill 1209A. Introduced in January by Senator Robert Ortt (R, C, IP), SB 1209A seeks to legalize suppressor ownership and hunting in New York state. Suppressors are currently legal to own in 42 states, 40 of which allow their use while hunting.

Although legal in 42 states, suppressors have been federally regulated since the passage of the National Firearms Act of 1934. Currently, prospective buyers must send in a Form 4 application to the ATF, pay a $200 transfer tax per suppressor, undergo the same process that is required to purchase a machine gun, and wait eight to twelve months for the ATF to process and approve the paperwork. In stark contrast, many countries in Europe place little to no regulations on their purchase, possession, or use.

With your help, we can bring New York one step closer to becoming the 43rd state to legalize suppressors. Using the contact information below, please contact members of the Senate Environmental Conservation Committee and politely urge them to vote in support of S 1209A.

Chairman Thomas O’Mara (R,C,IP) – omara@nysenate.gov

Vice-Chair Tony Avella (D,IP) – avella@nysenate.gov

Sen. Todd Kaminsky (D) – kaminsky@nysenate.gov

Sen. Joseph Addabbo (D) – addabbo@nysenate.gov

Sen. Richard Funke (R, C, IP) – Funke@nysenate.gov

Sen. Brad Holyman (D, WF) – hoylman@nysenate.gov

Sen. George Latimer (D) – latimer@nysenate.gov

Sen. Kenneth P. LaValle (R) – lavalle@nysenate.gov

Sen. Betty Little (R, C, IP) – little@nysenate.gov

Sen. Carl L Marcellino (R, C, IP) – marcelli@nysenate.gov

Sen. Robert G. Ortt (R, C, IP) – Ortt@nysenate.gov

Sen. Elaine Phillips (R) – ephillips@nysenate.gov

Sen. James Tedisco (R, C) – tedisco@nysenate.gov


Source: http://americansuppressorassoc...r-committee-hearing/

*** News - Hearing Protection Act ***

The Hearing Protection Act (the bill to remove suppressors from the NFA registry, and treat them like standard Title 1 firearms) has been added to another bill. I think, given the current makeup of congress, this is only way to get this bill passed into law. The Dems would undoubtedly filibuster any stand alone bill in the Senate.

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ASA - Hearing Protection Act Language Incorporated Into Comprehensive Sportsmen's Package

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The House Committee on Natural Resources has scheduled a hearing for the morning of June 14, in which the Federal Lands Subcommittee will hear a discussion draft of the Sportsmen’s Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act. The SHARE Act, which is being championed in a bipartisan manner by Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Co-Chairs Representative Jeff Duncan (R-SC), and Representative Gene Green (D-TX), is a comprehensive package that covers a wide range of hunting, fishing, and outdoor related issues. Included in the legislation is Title XVII, a strengthened version of the Hearing Protection Act.

Since the re-introduction of the Hearing Protection Act by Rep. Duncan and Senator Mike Crapo (R-ID) in January (H.R. 367, S. 59) the American Suppressor Association (ASA) has met with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) on multiple occasions to discuss technical amendments to the language. As a result, we were able to create several technical amendments that were incorporated into the current draft of the SHARE Act. These include:

Sec. 1702: Removing suppressors from the National Firearms Act, subjecting them to the same instant NICS background check as long guns, and issuing a refundable tax credit to anyone who has purchased a suppressor since the HPA’s original date of introduction
Sec. 1703: Ensuring that suppressors will remain legal in all 42 states where they are currently legal, after suppressors are removed from the National Firearms Act
Sec. 1704: Preempting states from levying taxes or registration requirements on suppressors. However, this will not make suppressors legal in any state where state law currently prohibits them.
Sec. 1705: Granting the ATF 365 days to destroy all suppressor related records from the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR)
Sec. 1706: Developing a “keystone part” definition, and requiring that such keystone part is serialized on every suppressor. This will ensure that individual suppressor parts, like pistons and endcaps, will not require serialization.
Sec. 1707: Imposing a 10% Pittman-Robertson excise tax on the manufacture of each new suppressor, a tax that is currently imposed on all Title I firearms
“The inclusion of the Hearing Protection Act in the sportsmen’s package highlights the commitment of the Sportsmen’s Caucus to make the hunting and recreational shooting experiences safer and more enjoyable for all,” said Knox Williams, President and Executive Director of the American Suppressor Association. “We know for a fact that exposure to noise from recreational firearms is one of the leading causes of hearing loss, which is why the CDC, NIOSH, and the National Hearing Conservation Association (NHCA) have all recommended using suppressors as a tool to mitigate the danger. We look forward to working with the Sportsmen’s Caucus to make this legislation a reality.”

Suppressors have been federally regulated since the passage of the National Firearms Act of 1934. Currently, prospective buyers must live in one of the 42 states where they are legal, must send in an application including fingerprints and passport photos to the ATF, pay a $200 transfer tax, and wait for an indeterminate amount of time for the ATF to process the application. As of June, 2017, wait times are in excess of 10 months. In stark contrast, many countries in Europe place no regulations on their purchase, possession, or use. This legislation will 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.

To voice your support for the Hearing Protection Act, visit www.HearingProtectionAct.com.


Source: http://americansuppressorassoc...-sportsmens-package/

*** News/Call to Action - Massachusetts ***

ASA - Massachusetts: Suppressor Legalization Bill To Be Heard In Committee

On Tuesday, July 18th at 1:00 PM in Room A-1, the Massachusetts Joint Committee on the Judiciary will hear two bills which seek to legalize suppressor ownership in Massachusetts. H. 763, sponsored by Rep. Josh Cutler (D – Plymouth), H. 789, sponsored by and Rep. Paul Frost (R – Auburn) and Sen. Michael Moore (D – Second Worcester), would replace the current law that prohibits the possession of suppressors by non-manufacturers with language that allows private individuals to own and possess suppressors so long as they are not (1) prohibited persons; (2) committing a violent felony; (3) committing a crime of violence against a family member; or (4) possessing or selling controlled substances.

Although legal in 42 states, suppressors have been federally regulated since the passage of the National Firearms Act of 1934. Currently, prospective buyers must send in a Form 4 application to the ATF, pay a $200 transfer tax per suppressor, undergo the same process that is required to purchase a machine gun, and wait ten to twelve months for the ATF to process and approve the paperwork. In stark contrast, many countries in Europe place little to no regulations on their purchase, possession, or use.

The American Suppressor Association will be on hand to testify in support of these bills, but we need your help! Using the contact information below, please contact members of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary and politely urge them to vote in support of H. 763 and H. 789.

Sen. William N. Brownsberger – Chairperson – William.Brownsberger@masenate.gov

Sen. Sonia Chang-Diaz – Vice-Chair – Sonia.Chang-Diaz@masenate.gov

Sen. John F. Keenan – John.Keenan@masenate.gov

Sen. Cynthia S. Creem – Cynthia.Creem@masenate.gov

Sen. Patricia D. Jehlen – Patricia.Jehlen@masenate.gov

Sen. Richard J. Ross – Richard.Ross@masenate.gov

Rep. Claire D. Cronin – Chairperson – Claire.Cronin@mahouse.gov

Rep. James M. Cantwell – Vice-Chair– James.Cantwell@mahouse.gov

Rep. Colleen M. Garry – Colleen.Garry@mahouse.gov

Rep. Carole A. Fiola – Carole.Fiola@mahouse.gov

Rep. Daniel J. Hunt – Daniel.Hunt@mahouse.gov

Rep. Michael S. Day – Michael.Day@mahouse.gov

Rep. Rady Mom – Rady.Mom@mahouse.gov

Rep. Paul Tucker – Paul.Tucker@mahouse.gov

Rep. Bud Williams – Bud.Williams@mahouse.gov

Rep. Shelia C. Harrington – Sheila.Harrington@mahouse.gov

Rep. James J. Lyons, Jr. – James.Lyons@mahouse.gov

ASA – Massachusetts Letter – Judiciary Committee – July 18, 2017 (PDF)

There are many benefits to using a suppressor, including:

1. HEARING PROTECTION: Noise induced hearing loss and tinnitus are two of the most common afflictions for recreational shooters and hunters. Everyone knows that gunfire is loud, but very few people understand the repercussions that shooting can have on their hearing until it’s too late. Suppressors reduce the noise of a gunshot by an average of 20 – 35 dB, which is roughly the same as earplugs or earmuffs. By decreasing the overall sound signature, suppressors help to preserve the hearing of recreational shooters, hunters, and hunting dogs around the world.
   
2. SAFER HUNTING: Most hunters do not wear hearing protection in the field because they want to hear their surroundings. The trouble is, exposure to even a single unsuppressed gunshot can, and often does, lead to permanent hearing damage. Suppressors allow hunters to maintain full situational awareness, while still protecting their hearing. The result is a safer hunting experience for the hunter, and for those nearby.
   
3. NOISE COMPLAINTS: As urban developments advance into rural areas, shooting ranges and hunting preserves across the country are being closed due to noise complaints. Although it can still be heard, suppressed gunfire helps mitigate noise complaints from those who live near shooting ranges and hunting land.
   
4. ACCURACY: Suppressors reduce recoil, and help decrease muzzle flinch. These benefits lead to improved accuracy, better shot placement, and more humane hunts.
   

Source: http://americansuppressorassoc...-heard-in-committee/

*** Call To Action - All States ***

The ASA is asking everyone to contact their legislators in support of the two versions of the Hearing Protection Act. They have a e-mail form at the link below, that will email your Representative and Senators, on your behalf.

http://www.HearingProtectionAct.com/