ATF, NSSF Offer $3,000 for Information on TN Gun Store Burglary
Regulators & Firearm Industry Team Up to Solve Cypress Creek Outdoors Burglary
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in conjunction with the Dyersburg Police Department and the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the trade association for the firearms industry, are offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction for those responsible for the theft of firearms from Cypress Creek Outdoors, a federal firearm licensee (FFL).
On July 20, 2019, Cypress Creek Outdoors, 305 Highway 51 Bypass N, Dyersburg, was burglarized where approximately 7 firearms were reported stolen to the Dyersburg Police Department. ATF Industry Operations Investigators responded to the FFL and are in the process of conducting an inventory to determine the exact number of firearms stolen.
ATF is offering the reward for the amount of up to $1,500, which will be matched by the NSSF for a total reward of up to $3,000. This reward is part of a larger national cooperative initiative between the NSSF and ATF in which NSSF matches ATF’s reward in cases involving the theft of firearms from federally licensed firearms retailers.
“ATF works closely with members of the firearms industry to curb the criminal acquisition and misuse of firearms. ATF Special Agent in Charge, Marcus Watson said, “ATF’s Crime Gun Intelligence will leverage investigative resources combined with community partnerships to recover the stolen firearms.”
Anyone with information about this crime should contact ATF at (888) ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477) or Dyersburg Police Department (731) 288-7022. Information can also be sent to ATFTips@atf.gov, through ATF’s website at www.atf.gov/contact/atftips. Tips can be submitted anonymously using the Reportit app, available from both Google Play and the Apple App store, or by visiting www.reportit.com.
ATF is the lead federal law enforcement agency with jurisdiction involving firearms and violent crimes, and regulates the firearm industry. More information about ATF and its programs is available at www.atf.gov.
Project Childsafe Marks 20 Years as America’s Leading Firearm Safety Program
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) this year marks the 20th anniversary of its Project ChildSafe program, which has increased awareness of safe firearms handling and storage practices among millions of gun owners, helped reduce accidental firearms deaths to historic lows and become an indispensable firearms safety education resource for partners in every state and the U.S. territories.
“The No. 1 objective of Project ChildSafe has always been saving lives by urging gun owners to store their firearms responsibly when not in use, and giving them the tools to do it,” said NSSF CEO Steve Sanetti.
Those tools include educational materials and more than 38 million free gun locks that have been distributed by a network of thousands of partners from law enforcement, fish and wildlife agencies, conservation groups, firearms retailers, gun ranges, the faith community, tribal organizations, Boy Scouts of America chapters, 4-H and other groups nationwide.
Project ChildSafe has made a meaningful impact on safety nationwide. Annual reports from the National Safety Council show fatal firearms accidents are trending toward the lowest numbers since data collection began, and recent reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show fatal firearms accidents represent less than half of a percent of all accidental deaths in the U.S. Continue reading
NSSF Celebrates President Trump Signing ‘Range Bill’
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.
NSSF Praises President Trump’s Rejection of U.N. Arms Trade Treaty
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the firearms industry trade association, praised President Donald Trump’s rejection of the United Nations Arms Trade Treaty that was signed by the Obama Administration, but was never ratified. President Trump delivered the announcement at the NRA Annual Meeting in Indianapolis, Friday, April 26, noting, “We’re taking our signature back. The U.N. will soon receive notice that we are rejecting this treaty.”
“President Trump’s rejection of this ill-advised treaty is a win for the American people and a win for America’s firearms and ammunition industry” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “President Trump, today, reasserted American sovereignty of our inherent rights. This demonstrates again that this administration continues to deliver on the promise to protect Second Amendment rights and value the contributions of the firearms industry to our freedoms and economy.”
The U.N Arms Trade Treaty was signed by Secretary of State John Kerry in 2013 and sent to the U.S. Senate for ratification but was never taken up for a vote. The treaty was intended to control the international trade in firearms under the guise of protecting human rights. The National Shooting Sports Foundation strongly opposed the treaty as it would have exposed the firearms and ammunition industry to a confusing web of international regulations that would not have contributed to curbing illegal arms trafficking, protecting human rights or guaranteeing the rights of United States citizens.
International arms sales remain highly regulated by U.S. law and this action has no effect upon these stringent export controls.
NSSF Applauds U.S. House of Representatives Introduction of Freedom Financing Act
Legislation Protects Firearms Industry from Corporate Discrimination
The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), the firearms industry trade association, applauded the introduction of H.R. 2079, the Freedom Financing Act in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congressman Roger Williams (R-Texas). The legislation would ensure large financial institutions cannot deny service to certain constitutionally-protected industries that are fully compliant with all laws and statutes.
“Americans must be reassured their tax dollars aren’t weaponized by corporate institutions attempting to eliminate a lawful industry that has become politically-disfavored by boardroom bureaucrats,” said Lawrence G. Keane, Senior Vice President and General Counsel for the National Shooting Sports Foundation. “Congressman Williams’s leadership is crucial to ensure banks which have enjoyed bailouts and insurance programs funded by taxpayers aren’t allowed to benefit from these protections while purposefully discriminating against the industry that provides the means for Second Amendment rights. These policies are debated and created by the elected officials Americans vote to represent their interests, not by faceless corporate boards representing the interest of the few. We applaud Congressman Williams for his clear vision in correcting this abuse of American trust and taxpayer dollars.”
The Freedom Financing Act focuses on the most egregious examples of legal commerce being banned through corporate policy that target firearms manufacturers, distributors, importers and retailers. Because the intent is not to force financial institutions to do business with certain industries – but rather to ensure that legal commerce is not prohibited – this legislation exempts financial institutions with less than $10 billion in assets.
The firearms industry has opposed moves by Bank of America, Citigroup and JPMorgan Chase when they published policies to deny financial services to AR-15 manufacturers and retailers to adopt restrictive sales policies, products that are legal under federal law for ownership and commonly-owned, with more than 16 million modern sporting rifles in private ownership today. Public policy is the responsibility of elected leaders and not dictated by a select few of unaccountable corporate boardroom bureaucrats. Policies to discriminate a lawful industry are a threat to American’s ability to choose the firearms that best meet their needs for self-defense, hunting and recreational target shooting.
NSSF Praises U.S. House Bipartisan Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act
Legislation Frees Funds for State Range Construction
The National Shooting Sports Foundation® (NSSF®), the firearms industry trade association, praised the introduction of H.R. 1222, the Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act of 2019 in the U.S House of Representatives. The bipartisan bill was authored by Reps. Ron Kind (D-Wis.) and Rob Bishop (R-Utah).
“This is crucial legislation that would provide state fish and game agencies more flexibility to use Pittman-Robertson excise taxes dollars raised from the sale of firearms and ammunition to enhance existing public shooting ranges and to build new ones to meet the growing need for additional places for target shooters to participate in their sport,” said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF Senior Vice President and General Counsel. “Public shooting ranges provide hunters a place to sight in rifles and shotguns before hunting seasons, for people to take firearm safety and hunter education courses and, for recreational target shooters to enjoy their sport. NSSF thanks Congressmen Kind and Bishop for recognizing the critical need and providing solutions to benefit recreational shooters and conservation.”
This legislation has been introduced in previous Congressional sessions, where it received overwhelming bipartisan support, but was never advanced to the president. The funds are derived from an existing excise taxes paid by firearms and ammunition manufacturers since 1937, with almost $12.1 billion raised for wildlife conservation supported by the sale of these products.
States are permitted to use some of those funds for hunter education courses and for public shooting ranges under a restrictive formula that has largely discouraged state agencies from building and enhancing public shooting ranges. The legislation would provide states greater flexibility on their ability to use Pittman-Robertson excise tax funds by increasing the cap of federal funds accrued for the creation and maintenance of shooting ranges from 75 to 90 percent. This means states could begin work on range facilities with 10 percent matching funds, instead of the current 25 percent. It would also enable excise funds to be made available and accrue for five years for land acquisition or range construction.
Target shooters are largely responsible for the funds derived through excise taxes from the sale of firearms and ammunition products. That money is directly responsible for habitat conservation, recreational shooting and wildlife management, making gun owners, hunters and manufacturers largest financial supporters of wildlife conservation throughout the United States. The development of new ranges will help encourage participation in hunting and the shooting sports, ensuring wildlife conservation funding through the Pittman-Robertson Act will continue for generations to come.
