NEWTOWN, Conn. — The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the firearms industry trade association, celebrates President Donald Trump’s signing of H.R. 1222, the Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act, at The White House. The President signed the NSSF-priority bill May 10, just two weeks after the bill was passed by Congress.
“We deeply appreciate President Trump’s swift enactment of this legislation that will give state fish and game agencies greater flexibility to build new recreational shooting ranges and expand and improve existing ranges,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “This administration understands the value and investment the firearms and ammunition industry makes to safe recreational shooting and to sustained conservation to benefit wildlife and habitat restoration across the United States. Public shooting ranges provide hunters a place to sight in rifles and pattern shotguns before hunting seasons, for people to take firearm safety and hunter education courses and for recreational target shooters to enjoy their sport.”
The “Range Bill” has been a sustained-effort priority for NSSF and is a crucial step forward in promoting, protecting and preserving hunting and the shooting sports. In the course of more than a decade, versions of the bipartisan legislation were introduced as 29 different numbered bills and 15 separate legislative packages, starting with the 110th Congress. While it had broad support from both Republicans and Democrats in both the U.S. House of Representatives and U.S. Senate, previous attempts to pass the legislation were derailed for reasons unrelated to the actual legislation.
The Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act, also known as the “Range Bill,” allows states to use their Pittman-Robertson Fund allocations to begin construction of new ranges, or improve existing state-run public recreational shooting ranges. Prior to this law’s enactment, states were required to put up 25 percent of the cost of range construction projects to access the matching 75 percent of Pittman-Robertson funds. Now, states can access those funds with a 10 percent match and will have five fiscal years to acquire land for range construction or expansion projects.
Pittman-Robertson funds are derived from an excise tax paid by firearms and ammunition manufacturers. Since 1937, the fund has generated more than $12.5 billion funding wildlife conservation and safety education programs in all 50 states. NSSF estimates more than 80 percent of Pittman-Robertson excise tax contributions are generated by sales attributed to recreational shooting. This means today’s recreational target shooter is an overwhelming contributor to conservation through excise tax support.
A recurring concern of recreational shooters, and those considering entering the sport, is proximity and access to a safe range. This new law would make it easier for states to enable recreational target shooters to enter the sport, which in turn would generate continued contributions to Pittman-Robertson funds and the conservation programs which it supports.
NSSF is especially grateful to U.S. Reps. Ron Kind (D-Wis.), Rob Bishop (R-Utah) and Duncan Hunter (R-Calif.), as well as U.S. Sens. Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.V.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), John Boozman, (R-Ark.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Angus King (I-Maine), Joe Manchin (D-W.V.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.) and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). All are original co-sponsors on both the House and Senate versions of the legislation.
About NSSF
The National Shooting Sports Foundation is the trade association for the firearms industry. Its mission is to promote, protect and preserve hunting and the shooting sports. Formed in 1961, NSSF has a membership of thousands of manufacturers, distributors, firearms retailers, shooting ranges, sportsmen’s organizations and publishers nationwide. For more information, visit www.nssf.org.
Hopefully this gets some of the public range projects moving forward around here so I can shoot outdoors without driving 2+ hours.
Great. When do we get the Hearing Protection Act? Until we get that (or national reciprocity, or something similar), President Trump will not receive my vote.
Bernie and Clueless Joe appreciate your sentiments. Perhaps you should direct your rage towards the House of Representatives where legislation originates?
I did, for the two years that it was held by republicans far more than I will for the two years it’ll be held be democrats. I fully understand and I frankly don’t care what me not voting means – I will not cast a vote for someone whose greatest 2A successes include a range bill and easing of import/export restrictions, while at the same time enacting a dictatorial ban by executive fiat on bump stocks. No, I don’t use them and yes, I think they’re stupid, but that ban is not the act of someone friendly to the 2A, and on the balance, President Trump has done more harm than good to the most important amendment.
He had two years to pass the HPA. He had two years to pass National Reciprocity. Nobody – left or right – will get my vote for president unless and until those two things are central to their campaign platform.
A. The President doesn’t pass anything. Congress does.
B. Bump stocks were a giveaway to the a$$holes,, so I’m not worried about that. Maybe not a great line in the sand, but still, bump stocks?
C. Give the guy a chance. Who else you got, DemocRats?
jerztarheel OK, we gave a away bumpstocks now the BATFE can define firearms at will.
What did we get for this lawlessness?
Ruthless Objectivity,
So, the countless judges (who solidly support the Second Amendment) that Trump has appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court, U.S. Appellate Courts, and U.S. District Courts have done more harm than good? I don’t think so.
Please direct your ire at the U.S. Senate which is unable to pass anything until 60 U.S. Senators agree. (For reference there has never been 60 U.S. Senators who would agree to repeal any firearm laws during Trump’s term in office.)
Meanwhile, giving away the U.S. Presidency to a Progressive candidate who WILL appoint judges who oppose the Second Amendment means you are part of the problem, not part of the solution.
You are going to really enjoy President Booker and Vice President Swalwell.
…….I seem to remember orange man saying
“Take the guns first,……… Then due process second”. RE: “Red flag laws”
THAT’S NOT HOW A CONSTITUTIONAL REPUBLIC WORKS MR. PRESIDENT!!!
Yes, I voted for Trump, prolly vote again.
#never_dem-o-commies.
You should blame former Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan or Senate President Mitch McConnell, who had ample opportunity to begin the process in the last Congress. Technically bills like this have to originate in one chamber and be passed by both the House and Senate before the President signs the bill or not. The Speaker or the Senate President control what is considered by their respective chambers so they are to blame for not bringing up the Hearing Protection Act. For the record I am as disappointed as you!
Let me recommend learning about how your government works. Perhaps Hillsdale College or Liberty University has some on-line classes.
I do. I have named them Republican’ts.
The votes and support was not there then or now. Feel free to whine about it endlessly.
Any chance for the HPA to pass ended at Mandalay Bay.
Should have included Hearing Protection Act with it and driven suppressors to the Presidents desk.
Nice to see something…anything positive come out of that cesspool in FC.
Welcomed, sure. Still too little too late.
The funds from the Pittman- Robertson Act will be used to improve the ranges. Like one of the improvements is a FBI direct feed camera of everyone using the range I betcha.
Baby steps are still steps, the range we have has been designated a range now for maybe a year. Prior to that, we WERE shooting there but for the most part (depending on your gear) it was deemed illegal.
No offense folks, but this is just more taxation.
The Republican’ts totally blew any chance of Concealed carry Reciprocity or Hearing Protection in the first two years.
Judges seem good so far, but both nominations and confirmations have stalled.
“…time is fleeting, madness takes its toll” (Riff Raff, Rocky Horror Picture Show, 1975)
Pittman-Robertson funds come from taxes on guns, ammunition, fishing equipment, maybe some boats and related equipment. The money is all given to the states to use for habitat development, range development, stream improvement and so forth. Sportsmen and Second Amendment advocates lobbied for this tax and so far have been able to keep it from being diverted to some politician’s inappropriate hare brained scheme. This bill doesn’t raise taxes it just makes it easier for the states to use it for range development. This is a good thing and will cost no more than we have been paying.
How is an excise tax on arms and ammo any different than a poll tax? It should be repealed and refunds offered.
So where are the funds going to come from?
They blew nothing. You did not have the votes to pass it and you never will.
So…it allows states access to more ‘free’ money taken from gun ‘tariffs’ that were passed in the first place to depress gun sales, ensuring the demand for said funds will be greater. Wow, I can sure see why this was such a priority for NSSF, above defending bump stocks or even HPA. Them anti’s better watch out, seeing as we ‘gun voters’ have the power to get such an ambitious, brave, strong bill passed.
I wonder how long until we start hearing calls from ‘sportsmen’ that the Pittman-Robertson rate needs to increase to 30% or more…and how many moron “supporters of the RKBA” will cheer it, thinking it means their state will get ‘free’ shooting facilities out of the deal.
That all sounds great. Does it include a portion in the bill about returning the bump stocks???
The Fudds will love this while making sure to restrict it to hunting rifles and shotguns.
Since when do fudds control the ranges?
Controlled the one we have here for years, we were only allowed to discharge hunting calibers. Barrel length, bullet diameter, velocities, it really narrowed down our choices.
How is this excise tax not a 10A violation?
Why is this being celebrated?
Any gun owner that votes for Democrats is a traitor!
JUST WHAT TRAITOR’S ENJOY PRO GUN PEOPLE ARGUING AMONG THEMSELVES ABOUT WHAT THEY ALL WANT!! DOES THIS MAKE SENCE!!? NO NETHER DOES THE ABOVE COMMENTS AGAINST EACH OTHER! WE NEED TO STAND TOGETHER AND DEFEAT THE ANTI GUN AND GUN CONTROL TRAITOR’S RUNNING OUR CITIZENS GOVERNMENT AND VOTE THEM THE HELL OUT!! QUIT BICERING AND COME TOGATHER FOR ONE COMMON GOAL!! PROTECT THE U.S. CONSTITUTION AND BILL OF RIGHTS AND THE FREEDOMS WE ALL HAVE!!