Second Amendment advocacy groups on Thursday cheered their win on deregulating gun suppressors, calling it a first step in a broader campaign to dismantle archaic firearm laws.
The House-passed budget bill included provisions to eliminate the registration and $200 tax on suppressors. If the provision survives in the Senate version of the “big, beautiful bill” and is signed by President Donald Trump, buyers will only have to pass an FBI background check to purchase one.
The accessory has been tangled in the Al Capone-era National Firearms Act, which requires buyers to get a $200 stamp of approval from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Initially seen as a sinister gun add-on by crime bosses, advocates have long said “silencers” are key to lessening hearing damage at ranges.
UPDATE FROM @Rep_Clyde
“One of my key priorities throughout this process has been restoring our constitutional 2A rights, which have been subjected to unconstitutional infringements for the last 90 years under the draconian NFA.
“The original bill text only removed the… https://t.co/0hpeN8O9ND
— Gun Owners of America (@GunOwners) May 22, 2025
The budget and tax bill included a version of the “Hearing Protection Act” proposed by Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), who said on X on Thursday, “This is a massive 2A victory — one that takes important steps toward restoring our constitutional freedoms.”
BREAKING: The House PASSES the amended reconciliation bill — including the FULL REMOVAL of suppressors from the NFA — by a 215-214 vote!
The is a HUGE WIN for suppressors, 2A rights, and freedom!! pic.twitter.com/zykAbvKLMZ
— American Suppressor (@AmSuppressor) May 22, 2025
Doug Hamlin, the executive vice president and CEO of the National Rifle Association, told Secrets Thursday morning, “On behalf of the millions of NRA members, I thank Speaker Johnson and Republican House leadership for including a pro-gun victory in the One, Big, Beautiful Bill. Eliminating the onerous tax and regulations surrounding suppressor purchases would mark a significant and long-overdue reform. Despite the fearmongering from anti-gun activists, suppressors are important safety devices that protect the hearing health of gun owners and hunters. The NRA looks forward to working with the pro-gun majority in the U.S. Senate to see that this bill becomes law.”
And the chief NRA lobbyist, John Commerford, added, “This represents a monumental victory for Second Amendment rights, eliminating burdensome regulations on the purchase of critical hearing devices.”
Erich Pratt, senior vice president of Gun Owners of America, said, “Eliminating the suppressor registration and tax is a major step forward for liberty and safety. This would not have happened without Rep. Clyde’s resolve and strategic leadership. Gun owners have one less unconstitutional hurdle to worry about — but we’re not done. The Senate needs to deliver on President Trump’s campaign promise to protect gun owners from another ban on short-barreled firearms like the Biden Pistol Brace Ban.”
— NRA (@NRA) May 22, 2025
For weeks, there has been an effort led by Second Amendment groups, including Gun Owners of America, to win approval of eliminating suppressor regulation over complaints by liberal gun-banning groups, including Giffords, that said the result will be more gun deaths, though they could not explain how.
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Now, with a victory under their belt, those groups are pushing for the deregulation of short-barrelled rifles, such as popular AR-15 style pistols. Under pending legislation they support, the purchase of those firearms would still require a background check, but eliminate the $200 National Firearms Act stamp and approval by ATF.
“Unfortunately, the bill does not eliminate the taxation and registration of SBRs,” said Clyde on X. “We CANNOT give up,” he added.