Petroplex News

Congressman August Pfluger of Texas and Congressman Jared Golden of Maine have introduced the Protecting Americans’ Right to Silence (PARTS) Act, a bipartisan legislative proposal. The act seeks to amend existing statutory definitions related to firearm silencers and mufflers. Its primary goal is to prevent potential misinterpretations that could criminalize lawful firearm accessories and protect the rights of American gun owners.

Currently, there is concern that the definition of a silencer could incorrectly classify individual components as silencers. This has led to confusion among citizens and manufacturers, particularly as many companies offer modular models for different uses such as hunting or transportation.

"Suppressors make hunting and all shooting sports safer," said Congressman Pfluger. "They help our military personnel, law enforcement, and recreational shooters alike. Unfortunately, we’ve seen the Biden-Harris Administration’s ATF try to criminalize the tools and accessories that actually make using firearms safer. Criminalizing suppressors would only make their manufacturing and use nearly impossible. My bill would prevent that blatant overreach and protect the Second Amendment Rights of Americans."

Congressman Golden added his perspective: "Laws should be written in such a way that everyone can understand what’s legal and what isn’t. Instead, the ATF’s sloppy rulemaking puts responsible gun owners at risk of unknowingly violating the law — without making anyone safer, either. This is a no-brainer clarification and a necessary safeguard for Americans’ Second Amendment rights."

The PARTS Act aims to clarify which components are considered part of suppressors so that mounts, baffles, and end caps are not wrongly classified as standalone silencers. This clarification would prevent overreach by regulatory bodies like the ATF in defining firearm accessory regulations.

Original co-sponsors include Representatives Lauren Boebert from Colorado, Claudia Tenney from New York, Darrell Issa from California, and Mark Rulli from Ohio. They join in support of protecting American gun owners' rights against potential regulatory overreach.