Why It Matters: In July of 2024, Massachusetts passed a new omnibus gun law which would require a live fire component to obtain a mandatory Firearm Identification Card. Without specific legislative protections, long-standing and storied shooting ranges are in jeopardy of being closed due to newly enacted local regulations including noise ordinances, lead abatements, and…
September 10, 2024 (Washington, D.C.) – Earlier today, Taylor Schmitz, Director of Federal Relations for the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) testified before the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries as the sole representative from the sporting-conservation community on three CSF-priority bills. As the sole representative from the sporting-conservation community on all three…
Why it Matters: The Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) is well positioned to represent the entire sporting-conservation community on three important bills being considered in Congress by the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife, and Fisheries. The Subcommittee level hearing marks an important step forward in the legislative process for these priority bills. Highlights: On…
Why it Matters: Firearms are arguably one of the most important sporting tools for hunting and shooting sports participation while serving as a critical source of conservation funding thanks to the Pittman-Robertson Act. State firearm preemption laws keep the regulation and lawmaking ability around firearms vested at the state level and limit the ability of…
Why It Matters: In January 2013, New York State passed the NY SAFE Act which included a provision mandating background checks on ammunition at point of sale. In 2016, California followed suit with Proposition 63 which was later amended by the legislator to mandate ammunition background checks in 2019. Neither system could take effect until…
Why it Matters: Excise taxes imposed on firearms and ammunition at the state level place an overly burdensome expenditure on the backs of sportsmen and women. Firearms and ammunition are already subject to federal excise taxes at the manufacturer-level through the widely celebrated Pittman-Robertson Act which funds a variety of hunting, shooting, and wildlife conservation-related…
Why It Matters: On July 25, 2024, Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey signed into law an omnibus firearms package. This bill was ultimately passed by the House and Senate as House Bill (HB 4885) – An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws. Behind closed doors, HB 4885 was whittled down to 116 pages which significantly impact Massachusetts firearm…
Why It Matters: Through the unique “user pays – public benefits” structure of the American System of Conservation Funding (ASCF), recreational shooters are an unsung hero of conservation funding. Manufacturers of firearms and ammunition supported the passage of Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, redirecting an existing manufacturer-level excise tax on their products to be…
Why It Matters: Earlier this year, New Hampshire House Bill 1042 (HB 1042) – An Act Relative to the use of Air Rifles for Hunting Game, was introduced and supported with recommended amendments by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) in written and oral testimony. Ultimately, the House Committee on Fish and Game and Marine Resources…
Why It Matters: On June 6, 2024, Governor’s Sportsmen’s Caucus (GSC) Member, Governor Phil Scott, signed Vermont House Bill 878 (HB 878) into law, removing the two-year sunset provision previously put in place by Vermont Senate Bill 281 (SB 281) – which temporarily legalized the use of suppressors while hunting in Vermont two years ago….
Why It Matters: Introduced on February 14, 2024, Connecticut House Bill 5114 (HB 5114) – An Act Establishing an Excise Tax on Ammunition to Provide Funding for Community Gun Violence and Intervention Program Grants, sought to establish an 11% excise tax on ammunition and dedicate funds towards a community gun violence intervention and prevention program….
Why It Matters: Introduced on February 28, 2024, Maine Legislative Docket 2238 (LD 2238) An Act to Address Gun Violence in Maine by Requiring a Waiting Period for Certain Firearm Purchases, imposes a minimum three-day waiting period on the transferring of a firearm. On March 7, 2024, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) submitted testimony to…