Firearms Industry Praises House Passage of Bipartisan Sportsmen's Legislation

Newtown, Conn. - The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms, ammunition, hunting and shooting sports industries, praised the passage [on February 5, 2014] by the U.S. House of Representatives of the bipartisan Sportsmen's Heritage and Recreational Enhancement (SHARE) Act.

"The SHARE Act will help ensure that our nation's outdoor traditions are preserved, protected and promoted. This bipartisan legislation addresses many key priorities for American hunters and recreational shooters and its passage by the House represents a significant accomplishment for the sportsmen's community and for America," said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel. "We would especially like to thank the leadership of the Congressional Sportsmen's Caucus, Congressmen Bob Latta (R-Ohio), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Rob Wittman (R-Va.) and Tim Walz (D-Minn.) for their bipartisan leadership and commitment to America's sportsmen."

NSSF, along with a number of its partners, has been working closely with members of the House to ensure inclusion of a number of legislative priorities in the SHARE Act including provisions that will protect the use of traditional ammunition and fishing tackle by hunters and anglers, provide greater flexibility for states to utilize Pittman-Robertson funds to create and enhance public shooting ranges and facilitate greater access to Federal lands and waters for hunting, recreational fishing and shooting. In addition, the legislation includes a common sense provision that would allow for the adoption of state law on water resources development projects administered by the Corps of Engineers. Finally, the legislation permanently authorizes the Wildlife and Hunting Heritage Conservation Council Advisory Committee to advise the Secretaries of the Interior and Agriculture on wildlife and habitat conservation, hunting and recreational shooting.

On Tuesday, a similar package of pro-sportsmen legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate. The Bipartisan Sportsmen's Act, S. 1996, was introduced by Sen. Kay Hagan (D-N.C.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) joined by ten co-sponsors from both side of the aisle. As was the case for the House legislation, an impressive list of sportsmen's groups is supporting S. 1996 including NSSF, the Boone and Crockett Club, Safari Club International, the Mule Deer Foundation and the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation. NSSF urges sportsmen, shooters and members of the firearms and ammunition industry to contact their Senators to urge passage of S. 1996.