Hinson, Cotton Introduce the RIFLE Act

Washington, D.C. - Today, Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-IA-02) and Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR) introduced the Repealing Illegal Freedom and Liberty Excises (RIFLE) Act. Under current law, there is a $200 tax on the transfer and purchase of firearms regulated under the National Firearms Act. This legislation would remove the existing $200 tax on firearms sold to law-abiding gun owners. 

"The Second Amendment is a Constitutional right that is not to be infringed. Law-abiding gun owners should not be forced to pay an unconstitutional firearm tax. This bill will remove unnecessary financial barriers on lawful gun owners from the antiquated 1934 National Firearms Act and protect the Second Amendment rights of Iowans and Americans.” - Congresswoman Ashley Hinson

“Law-abiding Americans who exercise their Second Amendment rights should not be subject to unnecessary taxes and restrictions preventing them from doing so. Passed into law in 1934, the National Firearms Act needs to be amended. Our legislation will remove the red tape that places an undue financial burden on would-be gun owners.” - Senator Tom Cotton

“The National Rifle Association applauds Representative Hinson’s leadership on the Second Amendment and her reintroduction of the RIFLE Act. This $200 punitive tax has only ever served as a financial barrier for law-abiding Americans to exercise their Second Amendment rights.” - John Commerford, Executive Director of NRA-ILA

“The tax stamp requirement for firearms and suppressors listed as controlled items under the National Firearms Act was intended to suppress Americans’ desire to fully-exercise their Second Amendment rights. It was – and is – a ‘sin tax. However, there is no sin in exercising a Constitutionally-protected right. We appreciate the leadership of Representative Hinson and Senator Cotton to eliminate this tax that only serves as a barrier to law-abiding citizens keeping and bearing arms.” - Lawrence G. Keane, National Shooting Sports Foundation Senior Vice President and General Counsel

Congresswoman Hinson introduced this bill alongside 27 original co-sponsors: Representatives Richard Hudson (NC-09), Jack Bergman (MI-01), Byron Donalds (FL-19), Claudia Tenney (NY-24), Randy Feenstra (IA-04), John Moolenaar (MI-02), Mark Amodei (NV-02), Scott Franklin (FL-18), Dan Newhouse (WA-04), Michael Rulli (OH-06), Clay Higgins (LA-03), Mike Collins (GA-10), Beth Van Duyne (TX-24), Glenn Grothman (WI-06), John McGuire (VA-05), Andy Harris (MD-01), Andy Barr (KY-06), Bob Onder (MO-03), Chuck Fleischmann (TN-03), Troy Downing (MT-02), Brad Finstad (MN-01), Julia Letlow (LA-05), Michael Cloud (TX-27), Tim Walberg (MI-05), Jodey Arrington (TX-19), Adrian Smith (NE-03), and Mariannette Miller-Meeks (IA-01).

Background:

• Under current law, there is a $200 tax on the transfer and purchase of firearms regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA).
  • According to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the $200 transfer tax was intended to “to curtail, if not prohibit, transactions” of firearms.
  • The federal government intentionally placed a financial barrier on the Second Amendment, discriminating against individuals based on their income.
• The RIFLE Act would remove this infringing tax on firearms governed under the NFA, including short-barreled rifles and silencers.
  • This legislation would also ensure that pistols with stabilizing braces would not be subject to the $200 transfer tax.
  • This legislation does not modify any current background check provisions; it solely removes the federally-mandated financial burden on law-abiding gun owners.

The bill was first covered by Breitbart News here. Full bill text can be found here.

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