S-202 : Still Just a Bill

Silencers Help Us Save Hearing Act or the SHUSH Act

This bill modifies the treatment of silencers under federal statutes governing the sale, transfer, and possession of firearms.

Specifically, it removes silencers from the list of firearms subject to regulation (i.e., registration and licensing requirements) under the National Firearms Act (NFA). Additionally, it excludes a muffler or silencer from the list of firearms subject to regulation (e.g., background check requirements) under the Gun Control Act of 1968 (GCA).

Finally, the bill does the following:

• preempts state or local laws that tax or regulate firearm silencers,
• specifies that a person who lawfully acquires or possesses a silencer under provisions of the GCA meets the registration and licensing requirements of the NFA,
• eliminates mandatory minimum prison terms for a crime of violence or drug trafficking offense in which a defendant uses or carries a firearm equipped with a silencer or muffler, and
• permits active and retired law enforcement officers to carry a concealed silencer.