Bill To Decriminalize Firearm Suppressors in Texas Passes Out of Committee
Jose Nino
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The Tenth Amendment Center reports that last week a Texas House committee passed a bill that decriminalizes firearm sound suppressors under state law.
State Representative Tom Oliverson introduced House Bill 2286 on February 25, 2019.
Mike Maharrey details what this bill would do:
Under the proposed law, state agencies could not adopt any rule, order, ordinance, or policy to enforce a federal statute, order, rule, or regulation that purports to regulate a firearm suppressor that does not exist under the laws the state. It would also repeal a provision of state law making it an offense to possess, manufacture, transport, repair or sell a firearm suppressor unless it is registered by the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
On April 10, the House State Affairs Committee passed HB 2286 unanimously by a 11-0 vote.
If passed, HB 2286 would discontinue all state regulation of firearm suppressors.
Contrary to media portrayals, suppressors only muffle the sound guns make. They do not make guns go silent.
The National Firearms Act was the first comprehensive piece of legislation that regulated these so-called “silencers”.
Maharrey notes that the “feds charge a $200 tax on the purchase of the devices. Buying one also requires months-long waits after filing extensive paperwork with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.”
This repeal of state suppressor restrictions in Texas would not change the federal law on the books, nor would it put a stop to federal enforcement. Maharrey points out that it “would remove a layer of law hindering access to these harmless devices.”
Texas grassroots activist Tom Glass added,“It would not stop feds from attempting to enforce, but at least it would get Texas law right.”
With the federal government failing to move the needle on gun policy, many states and local political entities have taken policy matters into their own hands.
Liberty Conservative News reported on various counties in Colorado and New Mexico that are refusing to enforce their state’s gun control laws.
Although the 2019 session of the Texas State Legislature is approaching its end, bills like HB 2286 represent a new avenue pro-gun organizations are taking to expand gun rights.
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