Golden, Pflugar introduce bill to protect Americans' right to silence

WASHINGTON — Congressman Jared Golden (ME-02) and August Pfluger introduced the bipartisan Protecting Americans' Right to Silence (PARTS) Act to ensure that the rights' of American gun owners are protected. Specifically, this legislation would amend the statutory definitions of firearm silencers and mufflers to eliminate the potential misinterpretation that could lead to the criminalization of these lawful firearm accessories.

Under current law, the definition of a silencer has caused confusion and concern among both law-abiding citizens and manufacturers alike. The definition needs to be amended and clarified to avoid mistakenly categorizing individual components as silencers themselves, which would lead to the criminalization of these accessories.

“Unclear rules make it harder for responsible gun owners to accurately follow the law,” Congressman Golden said. “That’s an unfair burden for Americans, and it doesn’t make anyone safer. This is necessary work to clarify the ATF’s poorly-written suppressor rule and reaffirm Mainers’ Second Amendment rights.”

“Silencers and mufflers are utilized by our military personnel, law enforcement, and recreational shooters to make using firearms safer,” Congressman  Pfluger said. “Unfortunately, unclear rules have made it easier for ATF to try and criminalize these tools used by law abiding gun owners in America. This bipartisan legislation is critical to clarify these rules to prevent blatant overreach and protect the Second Amendment for Texans and all Americans alike. 

Golden and Pfluger's bill is co-sponsored by Ben Cline (VA-06), Michael Rulli (OH-33), Mike Ezell (MS-04), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Jack Bergman (MI-01), Brian Babin (TX-36), Riley Moore (WV-02), and Mike Collins (GA-10).

Text of this legislation is available here.

The bill is supported by Silencer Shop, American Suppressor Association, Congressional Sportsman Caucus, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.