Story highlights The bill would make obtaining gun silencers easier

Voting on the bill was postponed in June following the shooting of Rep. Steve Scalise

Washington (CNN) A bill containing a controversial provision that would make obtaining gun silencers easier passed its first hurdle Wednesday, advancing to the House floor.

An initial hearing on the bill was first planned in June but postponed following the shooting of Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise, the Republican House whip June 14.

The House Committee on Natural Resources passed the "Sportsmen Heritage and Recreational Enhancement Act," or SHARE Act , a bipartisan bill that aims to "expand opportunities for hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting" and "increases safety and hearing protection for sportsmen and women," the committee wrote in a statement.

Republican Rep. Jeff Duncan of South Carolina was responsible for adding the specific provision on gun silencers and argued that silencers protect hunters from hearing loss.

"Sportsmen are the foundation of the conservation movement in the United States, yet some radical organizations seek to limit access to this pastime by restricting the Second Amendment, as well as land and game management," Duncan said in a statement following the vote. "It's time to reform how we treat these lands in Congress. Let's responsibly expand access for hunting, fishing, and recreational shooting. Let's teach the next generation the basics of safe firearm usage and the virtues of cherishing our hunting traditions."

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