NSSF Statement Regarding the Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act

Yesterday in a purely political move, the bipartisan Sportsmen's Act, S. 2363, failed to garner the 60 votes needed to move toward final passage. After months of tireless work to amass an impressive list of co-sponsors representing both sides of the aisle, the legislation failed as a result of electio-year politics. NSSF issued the following statement concerning yesterday’s events:

NSSF understands why pro-sportsmen members from both sides of the aisle wanted an opportunity to vote on amendments unique to their respective states. That said, it is disheartening to see America's longstanding tradition of bipartisanship on sportsmen's issues sacrificed to the continued gridlock preventing meaningful bipartisan legislation. NSSF looks forward to working with the vast majority of Senators who continue to have an interest in passing this historic legislation on behalf of current and future generations of hunters.

 

Massachusetts House Passes Firearms Legislation

The Massachusetts House late Wednesday evening passed a bill aimed at preventing gun violence by a 112-38 vote that now heads to the Senate with just 22 days remaining in the session.  The newly amended version that had been unveiled less than 10 hours earlier on Wednesday morning was drastically different and much improved for both the industry and gun-owners in the Commonwealth.  While there are positives and negatives to any bill, NSSF believes the progress made from the original bill, H.4121, to the current version, H.4278, is a direct result of the voices of sportsmen, gun owners and retailers.

Here are some changes from the original bill that would have impacted the industry:

• Firearms retailers are no longer required to conduct background checks on private party sales for a state imposed fee of $25.  Individuals will access a web portal to be developed by the state police.
• If a retailer goes out of business they will no longer have to send the state police copies of all records which would have been duplicative in nature since it is an ATF requirement.
• The Attorney General will no longer have the ability to develop a more restrictive list of “approved” firearms for sale.  They will still have a consultative role like they currently possess.
• The FixNICS component has remained in the bill and fortunately was even amended to ensure that people seeking voluntary mental health treatment are not considered a prohibited person and therefore not reported to NICS.
• The legislation also makes steps to address actual gun violence by setting up a criminal firearms and trafficking unit within the state police, a measure supported over the years by NSSF.

 

US House Unveils FY2015 Department of Interior and Environment Appropriations Act

The US House Appropriations Committee released the FY15 Interior and Environment Appropriations bill on Tuesday. The legislation sets funding levels for the Department of Interior, EPA, Forest Service and related agencies, and includes important provisions for sportsmen such as preventing the EPA from regulating traditional ammunition made with lead components; a one year delay on any Endangered Species Act rule-making from USFWS regarding the sage grouse; funding to fight wildfires that have been destroying important wildlife habitat; and prevents any rule-making from the Department of the Interior that would devalue lawfully imported ivory products such as pistol grips and shotgun beads. The full committee is expected to mark up the bill on Tuesday, July 15.

 

Governors in Alaska and Rhode Island Sign FixNICS Legislation into Law

Last Thursday, Governor Chafee signed legislation intended to prevent people with serious mental illnesses from buying firearms. The legislation would make Rhode Island compliant in the submission of mental health records to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). This law was the only significant recommendation to come out of the 20-member Joint Behavioral Health and Firearms Safety Task Force that was established by the General Assembly. Over the past year, NSSF has testified before house and senate committees and also in front of a specially appointed task force on firearms and mental health. In testimony, NSSF Director, Government Relations, State Affairs Jake McGuigan stressed the importance to the industry that appropriate mental health records be submitted to NICS.

Governor Parnell signed House Bill 366, sponsored by Representative Lance Pruitt, which establishes a system to transfer the limited necessary information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). The bill allows the Alaska Dept. of Public Safety to receive identifying information from the Alaska Court System regarding individuals who are prohibited from firearm ownership due to an adjudication of mental illness or mental incompetence, and a resulting involuntary commitment for more than 30 days. The DPS would then transmit the limited identifying information to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS).

Alaska and Rhode Island were two priority target states in NSSF's nationwide FixNICS initiative.

 

Register Today for Import/Export Conference

To help industry members navigate the federal laws and regulations that govern the import and export of firearms and related products, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the FAIR Trade Group will present our 13th annual Firearms Import/Export Conference on Aug. 5-6. This year's conference features round-table sessions with key ATF branches, Customs and Border Protection, Treasury's Tax and Trade Bureau, and Census Bureau's Automated Export System. The conference will also feature presentations from ATF, an update on the U.N. arms trade control actions, and State Department speakers covering policy updates, enforcement trends, compliance, commercial export policies and brokering licenses, among other topics. Register now to guarantee your spot.

Not sure whether to register? Hear first-hand from attendees at last year's conference here.

 

Thank You To Our Latest NSSF PAC Contributors

President’s Club ($5,000): John French and Michael French

Cabinet Club ($2,500 or more):

Capitol Club ($1,000 or more): Matthew Bley and Sean Orr

Congressional Club ($250 or more): Michael Bippen, Ashley Brown, Frank Flack and John Keating

Industry Club (up to $249): Gregory Anderson, James Elliott, Peter Longobardi and Mai Lan Woods

 

Learn more about our industry's Political Action Committee: