Here is a link to the actual resolution.
In what way do noise suppressors/silencers protect hearing better than currently available earplugs and earmuffs?
If suppressors were easier to get, I imagine that some shooters would use them in addition to ear protection and not necessarily in place of.
They are, in some ways, more convenient. For example, wearing over-the-ear muffs while shooting can make it difficult for some people to properly align the sights, or get a good cheek weld.
ETA: but my impression is that in overall hearing protection, they’re comparable to hearing protection, not necessarily better.
They make it quieter for everyone (who may or may not be wearing hearing protection), not just the shooter.
What about earplugs, which I also mentioned?
Earplugs don’t have that same downside. People who aren’t very familiar with them sometimes have trouble getting them inserted properly to be effective, but I’ve never heard anyone complain that in-the-ear hearing protection interferes with the proper use of a firearm.
They make it somewhat quieter, mind you, if you’re at the range you should still wear the earplugs. And good earplugs properly used do protect quite well.
OTOH this bill’s short title is an example of a sort of legislative drafting preciousness that has always annoyed me. If you want to file a bill to cut the transfer tax on suppressors, which sounds like a straightfoward market policy matter, no need for styling it the “Hearing Protection Act of 2017” except that in the short-form list of filed bills it will look like some health-related initiative. At least they did not ask the clerks to make up a title to backfit an acronym as with PROMESA or PROTECT Act.
Right – a bill to make it easier/cheaper to buy gun silencers is disguised as a health protection measure. How sneaky!
Personal
Hearing
Wellness
Insurance
Plan
Few hunters wear hearing protection, it interferes with locating game. Though in many types of hunting, a suppressor is not always the best choice, they’re usually big and unwieldy. At the range, it can potentially reduce the discomfort of your neighbors, especially at indoor ranges.
It’s also not an either/or thing: you can use a suppressor and wear hearing protection simultaneously. Just because a sound doesn’t cause physical pain, it doesn’t mean that it is harmless. .22 and birdshot are not painful to hear, but hearing protection is recommended if possible.
Are you claiming that suppressors do NOT muffle the noise, and thereby protect people’s hearing?
If I file a bill to cut taxes on aspirin, should I call it the Cardiac Clot Prevention Act? Yes, this is a bill to cut taxes on A hearing safety device. Not even on all of them. The title is too grandiose.
If there’s a home invader in your house you probably don’t want to take the time to put on your earmuffs after grabbing your weapon.
Grandiose bill names are hardly new. The Patriot Act is “Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001”. I’m sure there are older examples.
Would attaching a silencer take less time?
Earplugs reduce all sounds. That means that a shooter cannot hear normal conversation, listen to instructions, listen for game, etc. Normal (non-electronic) ear muffs and earplugs are very inconvenient to use at a range, and impractical for hunting.
Although not a perfect analogy, should we all wear earplugs or muffs when driving our cars, instead of fitting the vehicles with mufflers to reduce the noise?
And as far as being a bill to cut taxes, you need to consider that the “tax” on suppressors is $200 per item, not the 6% sales tax most people think about.
Hey, it is a health issue. Too many of our murderers are being caught. We need to make it safer for them.
Is there a reason the tax is that high?
You can leave a silencer attached to your gun at all times. Sleeping with earplugs or earmuffs at all times is less practical.
Never mind.
Because suppressors are in the same legal category as machine guns, according to federal gun laws. You have to fill out extra paperwork and pay the $200 tax for each item. From what I read, it takes six months or so to get approved to buy a suppressor, plus the fee.
It’s a bit ironic that suppressors are sold over the counter with no special fees or approvals in many countries that have more stringent gun laws than the US. They are considered to be beneficial to both shooters and neighbors.