Petroplex News

Congressmen August Pfluger and Jared Golden have introduced the Protecting Americans' Right to Silence (PARTS) Act, a bipartisan bill aimed at protecting the rights of American gun owners. The legislation seeks to amend the statutory definitions of firearm silencers and mufflers to prevent potential misinterpretations that could criminalize these accessories.

The current definition of a silencer has been a source of confusion for citizens and manufacturers. This bill aims to clarify the definition to avoid mistakenly categorizing individual components as silencers, which could lead to their criminalization.

"Silencers and mufflers are utilized by our military personnel, law enforcement, and recreational shooters to make using firearms safer," stated Congressman August Pfluger. He emphasized that "unclear rules have made it easier for ATF to try and criminalize these tools used by law-abiding gun owners in America."

Congressman Jared Golden added, "Unclear rules make it harder for responsible gun owners to accurately follow the law. That’s an unfair burden for Americans, and it doesn’t make anyone safer."

The bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Ben Cline, Michael Rulli, Mike Ezell, Claudia Tenney, Jack Bergman, Brian Babin, Riley Moore, and Mike Collins.

Support for Rep. Pfluger's bill comes from several organizations including Silencer Shop, American Suppressor Association, Congressional Sportsman Caucus, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.

Chris Boeck from Silencer Shop expressed support saying they are "thrilled to collaborate with Congressman Pfluger’s office on this transformative legislation." Knox Williams from the American Suppressor Association also praised the initiative stating that "our laws must provide greater clarity" and applauded Representative Pfluger’s leadership.

The text of this legislation is available online for public access.