Originally published on NSSF. Republished with permission.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — NSSF®, The Firearm Industry Trade Association, applauds Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly for signing into law HB2501, which removes state criminal prohibitions against firearm suppressors. The new law clears obstacles to lawful suppressor possession and eliminates the statutory requirement that possession of these devices requires a federal tax stamp.
That tax requirement, which was reduced to a $0 fee under the One Big Beautiful Bill, must still be obtained as required by the National Firearms Act (NFA).
The new law fixes that requirement to ensure citizens can continue to obtain and possess suppressors should Congress pass the NSSF-supported Hearing Protection Act to remove the duplicitous background check, registration and tax stamp requirement for these hearing protection safety devices.
“This is what proactive and commonsense leadership looks like. With Governor Kelly’s signature, Kansas is taking the steps to ensure that its citizens can lawfully obtain, possess and use a hearing protection device when they are removed from the National Firearms Act (NFA), which is long overdue,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF’s Senior Vice President & General Counsel.
“Suppressors are hearing safety devices that make recreational shooting and hunting a safer and more enjoyable activity. We will continue to press to have these devices removed from the NFA so that they are more accessible to the public.”
HB2501 passed the Kansas legislature with an overwhelming bipartisan majority, supported in the House of Representatives with a 99-22 vote and a 35-4 Senate vote.
This is indicative of both the common sense of removing state restrictions against possessing a hearing safety device and support for the free exercise of Second Amendment rights by law-abiding Kansas citizens.
The new law also provides immunity from civil liability to firearm retailers for returning a firearm to its owner at the termination of a firearm hold agreement. This is a critical protection to encourage firearm retailers to assist gun owners who are seeking assistance during a mental health crisis or suicidal ideations.
The law also removes state shotgun barrel length and short-barrel rifle (SBR) qualification requirements and enhances penalties for the criminal misuse of a SBRs and short-barrel shotguns (SBSs) or firearms equipped with a suppressor.
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