Generally, the Hearing Protection Act would remove suppressors from the National Firearms Act (NFA), eliminating the $200 federal tax payment that is currently required under the NFA when purchasing a suppressor or "silencer", and prevent states or local authorities from imposing their own local tax as a replacement. Under the Act, suppressors would still be treated as firearms, but removed from the purview of the NFA. The effect would be to apply the same requirements for the purchase of rifles and shotguns to the purchase of suppressors. Purchasers would still be required to pass the NICS background check, but the expense and burdens imposed by the NFA would no longer apply.
We will post updates related to the Hearing Protection Act of 2015.
Click here for the text of H.R.3799.