Update on Congressional Action for Additional Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) Funding

Yesterday evening, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) exhausted its funding forcing the Small Business Administration (SBA) to stop accepting applications for job-saving loans.  According to a press release from Treasury Secretary Mnuchin and the SBA, “By law, the SBA will not be able to issue new loan approvals once the programs experience a lapse in appropriations.”

As hundreds of businesses across the country have been forced to close as being “non-essential” during the coronavirus pandemic, the National Shooting Sports Foundation^®(NSSF^®) has worked nonstop to have firearm retailers, ranges, manufacturers and distributors listed as “essential.” There have been numerous challenges to this even in gun-friendly states, but to date, we have been successful in keeping the doors open and businesses operating in more than 20 states and in numerous towns and cities that have enacted stay-at-home orders. 
 
We did not realize these successes alone. NSSF’s thousands of members were making phone calls to legislators and law enforcement at all levels of government, right alongside our Government Relations team, letting them know what was happening in their communities. Together, they made the message crystal clear: It is critical, essential, that our manufacturers, distributors, retailers, ranges and importers remain operational.
 
Our collective ability to influence lawmakers and keep our businesses open now has federal backing. Late in March, NSSF secured a “critical infrastructure” listing from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for nearly all sectors of our industry—and again, it was NSSF members, working right alongside us, who were instrumental in championing this effort.
 
I’m asking you now to join your colleagues—especially if your business has remained open during this crisis—and become an NSSF member. There are many, many challenges we have yet to face and many unknowns, but as the trade association for the firearm industry—your trade association—we know from long experience in other difficult times that our strength derives from our numbers. 
 
This crisis will pass and, if there’s a silver lining in it all, there are hundreds of thousands, evenmillionsof people who have become firearm owners for the very first time during this pandemic—and they will be turning to your business for new products and education when it’s over. Please join us in being a part of the fight to get through this and the successes to be found at the other end.
 
Sincerely,

Mike Vrooman
National Shooting Sports Foundation 
Managing Director – Member Services 

The U.S. Departments of State and Commerce have published proposed new "Export Control Reform" rules that, once effective, will transfer export control of semi- and non-automatic firearms, components and related ammunition, including associated technical data, from the International Traffic and Arms Regulations (ITAR) to the Export Administration Regulations (EAR).

On April 18, the House Natural Resources Committee marked up and passed H.R. 788, the Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act on a voice vote. This bipartisan piece of legislation was introduced by Congressional Sportsmen’s Caucus (CSC) Member Congressman Duncan Hunter (CA) on February 1, 2017.

As you know, the Obama-appointed National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) several years ago promulgated a new rule designed to shorten the time between a union’s successful organizing campaign and the resulting certification election.  This rule, called the “Ambush Rule” or “Quickie Election Rule” by opponents because, as a result of the rule, an employer could face a successful organizing campaign of which he/she was not even aware, and the abbreviated time between the notice and the election made it very difficult for the employer to adequately prepare for the election, or to communicate with employees on the impact of unionization.

During first quarter of 2018 several new pieces of legislation were adopted that impact firearm distribution. However, April marks a slight downturn in the pace of bills introduced, though new bills are proposed daily. 

It isn’t just the 2^nd Amendment under assault in our nation today.Throughout history the elimination of individual rights is almost always preceded by limitations to free speech and debate. We talk often about the importance of the 2^nd amendment but all freedoms equally hang on the 1^st amendment.

The anti-gun movement, emboldened by some recent success, seems reinvigorated in pushing corporations to discriminate against younger customers and now to limit speech and content. This is a dangerous tactic in that they seek to limit our ability to communicate and educate people on the misinformation they are spreading. Websites like YouTube and Facebook have now taken measures to restrict content, pages, and channels that focus on firearms. This is a significant challenge to our industry and our ability to educate the public about a lot of very important topics, which include firearms safety.

Over the past few weeks, the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation (CSF) and partners from the sportsmen’s conservation community worked closely with Congressional leadership to ensure that several funding priorities for the sportsmen’s community were included in the FY2018 Omnibus appropriations bill.“The inclusion of provisions such as a fix to fire-borrowing, reauthorization of the Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act with enhanced sportsmen’s access, improvements to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System, and addressing disease risks for the benefit our nation’s wild sheep populations, are all victories for the outdoor conservation community as a whole,” said CSF President Jeff Crane. “CSF and partners have been working closely with Members of the House and Senate to ensure that these crucial provisions are included.”Top provisions that were successfully added to the Omnibus package include:

I want to call your attention to an issue that will be of interest to your members if they are dealing with the driver shortage that we are hearing abut from many NAW members. Under current Federal regulations, drivers have to be at least 21 years of age to obtain commercial drivers’ licenses for   interstate  commerce.  However, most states allow drivers from 18 to 21 years of age to obtain commercial licenses for   intrastate  commerce.  The obvious result of these conflicting rules is that a licensed commercial driver under the age of 21 has to stop his truck at the state line.California Congressman Duncan Hunter has introduced a piece of legislation that would address this problem by removing the Federal regulation and permitting drivers from 18 to 21 years of age to obtain commercial licenses for   interstate  commerce.  His bill is titled   The   Developing Responsible Individuals for a Vibrant Economy (DRIVE Safe) Act.Our colleagues at IFDA brought this bill to our attention last week, and asked if we would join them and send a letter of support to Rep. Hunter, which we have done.  And I am now following IFDA’s lead and bringing the issue to your attention.If you want to learn more about the regulation or Rep. Hunter’s legislation, and send a letter of support if the issue is of interest to your members, the following links will take you to relevant documents.And, if you do send a letter to the Hill, please send a copy to Jon Eisen at IFDA (cc’d on this message) and me.

Provided by: Orchid Advisors & FFL BizHub

A large number of state legislatures returned to their respective State Capitols this year and have wasted no time introducing new firearm legislation and moving forward with carryover legislation.  There are well over 3,000 bills pending amongst the 50 States, the District of Columbia, and the Federal government that in some way, shape, or form impact firearms and ammunition possession, transfer, ownership, and use. Fortunately, there’s a tool available to help you sort through the flurry of activity and keep a close eye on legislation that impacts your business. The OA/NASGW State Firearms Restriction App, available on the www.FFLBizHub.com website, is a great potential resource for you in this constantly moving environment.