The Ohio House concurred with Senate changes to Am. Sub HB 234 by a vote of 69 - 16.

Beginning early in this session (2013), the House held numerous hearings on and eventually passed multiple firearms-related bills. The House passed HB 203 (Concealed Carry & Self-Defense Law Reform), HB 234 (Allow Noise Suppressors While Hunting) and HB 454 (Rule Modification for Concealed Carry in School Zones).

After considering HB 203 and a Senate alternative, SB 338, as well as HB 234, the Senate Civil Justice Committee combined many provisions from these various firearms bills into one piece of legislation - Sub. HB 234 - which was amended slightly before being passed by the full Senate on Tuesday, December 9 by a 24-6 margin. The House today concurred with those changes. The Act will now be sent to the Governor's office for consideration.

Before the vote, Reps. Cheryl Grossman (R), Terry Johnson (R), and John Becker (R) rose to speak in favor of the bill.

The Act can be viewed here. For a summary of some of the provisions included in the bill and a Senate vote tally, click here.

Chad D. Baus is the Buckeye Firearms Association Secretary, BFA PAC Vice Chairman, and an NRA-certified firearms instructor. He is the editor of BuckeyeFirearms.org, which received the Outdoor Writers of Ohio 2013 Supporting Member Award for Best Website.

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