WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after provisions he has championed to deregulate firearms suppressors as well as provisions that mirror the Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act to deregulate Short Barreled Rifles (SBR) and Short Barreled Shotguns (SBS) were included in the Senate Finance Committee’s legislative text for the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

“No burdensome tax or regulation should infringe on law-abiding Americans’ God-given right to keep and bear arms,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I’m glad the Senate is joining the House to stand up for the Second Amendment and our Constitution, and I will continue to fight for these priorities as the Senate works to pass President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill.”

Background:

Suppressors are currently subject to additional regulatory burdens under the National Firearms Act (NFA). Sen. Cornyn cosponsored the Hearing Protection Act to remove suppressors from regulation under the NFA and replace the burdensome federal transfer process with an instantaneous National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) background check. This would make the purchasing and transfer process for suppressors similar to the process for rifles and shotguns.

The Senate Finance Committee’s legislative text includes provisions from the Hearing Protection Act that strike the registration requirement and eliminate both the transfer and manufacturing tax on suppressors. Specifically, it removes silencers from the list of firearms in the tax code.

The Senate Finance Committee’s legislative text also mirrors the Stop Harassing Owners of Rifles Today (SHORT) Act to remove Short Barreled Rifles (SBR) and Short Barreled Shotguns (SBS) from the definition of “firearm” for purposes of Sec. 5845, resulting in the elimination of the transfer and manufacturing tax on these devices as well. The provision would also preempt onerous state or local licensing or registration requirements that are determined by reference to the National Firearms Act (NFA) by treating anyone who acquires or possesses these rifles, shotguns, or other weapons in compliance with federal statute to be in compliance with the state or local registration or licensing requirements.