Congressman Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kan.) introduced a potentially important piece of legislation in Washington Tuesday. The Home Defense and Competitive Shooting Act would streamline bureaucratic regulations, reduce ATF processing times and remove unconstitutional finger print requirements and fees for certain rifles.

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Home Defense and Competitive Shooting Act

“Opponents of the Second Amendment want to use bureaucracy and regulations to obstruct citizens attempting to exercise their God-given right to keep and bear arms,” Marshall said in a statement. “The firearms addressed in this bill are commonly used for hunting, personal defense, and competitive shooting. Since I came to Congress, I have fought tooth and nail to stop attempts that would strip our Constitutional right to keep and bear arms. This bill will eliminate regulations designed not to protect Americans, but to deny them their Constitutional rights.”

The proposed bill specifically addresses short-barreled rifles, regulated by the NFA since 1934. Should this bill pass, SBRs would reclassify as simply semiautomatic rifles. It would also remove any form or tax stamp from the rifle.

“The introduction of this bill is yet another landmark towards restoring the constitutionally-recognized right to keep and bear arms without infringement by federal regulations and whimsical rulemaking by anti-gun D.C. bureaucrats,” said Aidan Johnston, Director of Federal Affairs for Gun Owners of America. “Gun Owners of America urges every member of the House of Representatives to cosponsor this bill.”

“On behalf of the NRA’s five million members, I thank Dr. Marshall for introducing necessary legislation that will restore Constitutional rights to law-abiding Americans to choose which firearms best suit their needs,” said Jason Ouimet, executive director, National Rifle Associations’s Institute for Legislative Action. “It’s time Congress eliminates costly and unnecessary government regulations on short-barreled rifles, which are used in sport shooting, hunting and are especially popular with women gun owners for self-defense.”

Road Ahead

Any proposed legislation such as this makes the 2A crowd happy. But a Democratic-controlled House of Representatives makes passage of the bill highly unlikely. Had this bill come to the floor prior to the mid-term election, it could have fared much better. But one can hope.

For more information, visit marshall.house.gov.