There has doubtlessly been improvement recently in removing restrictions on the availability of hearing-protecting suppressors. The DOJ and ATF sent strong signals that federal registration requirements are a thing of the past, but much work remains at the state level.
In Ohio, Senate Bill 214 seeks to remove the state’s designation of silencers that lumps these accessories in with rocket launchers and other military hardware.
The Senate already gave its approval, but now it’s the House’s turn.
Ohio lawmakers could clarify murky issue for 2A community
The Buckeye Firearms Association (BFA), along with State Sen. Kyle Koehler (R), spearheaded the push. Currently, suppressors are classified as “dangerous ordnance,” right along with grenades and mines.
Possessing even one is a fifth-degree felony.
To avoid this charge, you must register the suppressor with ATF, and that database is on its last legs. Earlier this month, a federal judge ruled that the federal registry is unconstitutional after the $200 tax attached to it was eliminated at the start of the year.
Hearing protection and reducing noise pollution are the goals
The bill’s languishing in the House is a head-scratcher as the Senate almost unanimously approved it on a 31-1 vote in March.
At the time, Koehler said the proposal just makes good sense. “In reality, a suppressor is no more dangerous than my noise-canceling earbuds that I wear on my farm while using a chainsaw,” the senator explained. “Like a suppressor, these reduce the decibels of the chainsaw but do not make it silent.”
He added that the popular devices “protect the ears of my pets and my neighbors.”
Hearing loss in the sporting community is a real thing, as BFA Legislative Affairs Director Jim Samuel explained.
“Anyone who shoots or hunts frequently has likely experienced some degree of hearing loss,” he noted. “And noise complaints frequently plague outdoor ranges. This is why suppressors can be a useful tool to promote hearing safety and reduce noise pollution.”
Observers expect the House to take up the measure when lawmakers return from summer recess.
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