H.R. 3228

119 HR 3228 IH: Constitutional Hearing Protection Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2025-05-07
 text/xml
 EN
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 I  119th CONGRESS  1st Session  H. R. 3228  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   May 7, 2025   Mr. Clyde  (for himself,  Mr. Higgins of Louisiana ,  Mrs. Miller of Illinois ,  Mr. Norman ,  Mr. Burlison ,  Mr. Harris of Maryland ,  Mr. Ogles ,  Mr. Stutzman ,  Mr. Brecheen ,  Mr. Crane ,  Mr. Finstad ,  Mr. Moore of Alabama ,  Mr. Rulli ,  Mr. McGuire ,  Mr. McClintock ,  Mr. Gill of Texas ,  Mr. Wied ,  Mr. Begich ,  Mr. Gosar ,  Mr. Harris of North Carolina ,  Mr. Self ,  Mrs. Harshbarger ,  Mr. Hern of Oklahoma ,  Mr. Zinke ,  Mr. Downing ,  Mr. Massie ,  Mr. Reschenthaler ,  Mr. Perry ,  Mr. Steube ,  Ms. Tenney ,  Mr. Estes ,  Mr. Feenstra ,  Mr. Fulcher ,  Mr. Kelly of Pennsylvania ,  Mr. Miller of Ohio ,  Mr. Roy ,  Mr. Smucker , and  Mr. Kustoff ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the  Committee on Ways and Means , and in addition to the Committee on  the Judiciary , for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned   A BILL
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to remove silencers from the definition of firearms, and for other purposes.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Constitutional Hearing Protection Act  .
2.
Equal treatment of silencers and firearms
(a)
In general
 Section 5845(a)  of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking  (7) any silencer  and all that follows through  ; and (8)  and inserting  and (7) .
(b)
Effective date
The amendment made by this section shall apply to calendar quarters beginning more than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
3.
Treatment of certain silencers
 Section 5841  of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following:
(f)
Firearm silencers
A person acquiring or possessing a firearm silencer in accordance with  chapter 44  of title 18, United States Code, shall be treated as meeting all registration and licensing requirements of the National Firearms Act with respect to such silencer.
 .
4.
Preemption of certain State laws in relation to firearm silencers
Section 927 of title 18, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following:  Notwithstanding the preceding sentence, a law of a State or a political subdivision of a State that imposes a tax, other than a generally applicable sales or use tax, on making, transferring, using, possessing, or transporting a firearm silencer in or affecting interstate or foreign commerce, or imposes a marking, recordkeeping or registration requirement with respect to such a firearm silencer, shall have no force or effect. .
5.
Destruction of records
Not later than 365 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall destroy any registration of a silencer maintained in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record pursuant to  section 5841  of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, any application to transfer filed under  section 5812  of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that identifies the transferee of a silencer, and any application to make filed under  section 5822  of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that identifies the maker of a silencer.
6.
Amendments to title 18, United States Code
Title 18, United States Code, is amended—
(1)
in section 921(a), by striking paragraph (25) and inserting the following:
(25)
(A)
The terms  firearm silencer  and  firearm muffler  mean any device for silencing, muffling, or diminishing the report of a portable firearm, including the  keystone part  of such a device.
(B)
The term  keystone part  means, with respect to a firearm silencer or firearm muffler, a single externally visible part of a firearm silencer or firearm muffler, without which a device capable of silencing, muffling, or diminishing the report of a portable firearm cannot be assembled, but the term does not include any interchangeable parts designed to mount a firearm silencer or firearm muffler to a portable firearm.
 ;
(2)
in section 922(b)—
(A)
in paragraph (1), by striking  shotgun or rifle  the first place it appears and inserting  shotgun, rifle, firearm silencer or firearm muffler ; and
(B)
in paragraph (3), by striking  rifle or shotgun  and inserting  shotgun, rifle, firearm silencer or firearm muffler ; and
(3)
in section 923(i)—
(A)
by striking  Licensed  and inserting the following:
(1)
In the case of a firearm other than a firearm silencer or firearm muffler, licensed
 ; and
(B)
by adding at the end the following:
(2)
In the case of a firearm silencer or firearm muffler, licensed importers and licensed manufacturers shall identify by means of a serial number engraved or cast on the single keystone part of the firearm silencer or firearm muffler, in such manner as the Attorney General shall by regulations prescribe, each firearm silencer or firearm muffler imported or manufactured by such importer or manufacturer, except that, if a firearm silencer or firearm muffler does not have a clearly identifiable keystone part or has multiple keystone parts, licensed importers or licensed manufacturers shall submit a request for a marking variance to the Attorney General. The Attorney General shall grant such a request except on showing good cause that marking the firearm silencer or firearm muffler as requested would not further the purposes of this chapter.
 .
7.
Rule of construction
Nothing in this Act, or the amendments made by this Act, shall be construed to place any firearms formerly regulated under  chapter 53  of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the National Firearms Act) under the jurisdiction of the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission.