Panel hears testimony on bill to allow in-state regulation of firearm suppressors (HB 1730)
Get AI-powered insights, summaries, and transcripts
Subscribe
Summary
The committee heard Representative Koslow and witnesses on HB 1730, which would treat suppressors made and kept in Missouri as subject to state regulation. Sponsor and supporters argued the change protects hearing and asserts intrastate commerce limits federal reach; members raised concerns about concealment and public-safety implications.
The House General Laws Committee held public testimony on House Bill 1730, a measure to treat firearm suppressors manufactured and retained within Missouri as subject to state, not federal, regulation.
Representative Mike Koslow (District 108) told the panel the bill aims to distinguish suppressors that never leave Missouri from interstate commerce. "Anything that any firearms suppressors that are made within the state stay in the state and never leave the state are immune to the commerce clause oversight and, can be regulated by the state and not the federal government," Koslow said. He framed the measure as largely addressing hearing protection and the burden of federal background checks and waiting periods for law-abiding purchasers.
Committee members questioned technical claims and public-safety implications. Representative Zimmerman and Representative Smith pressed whether suppressors could facilitate concealment of crimes; Smith said she was concerned about current national incidents and the "climate we're in right now," noting the timing felt tone-deaf. Koslow disputed that suppressors meaningfully hide gunshots, saying a good suppressor might reduce sound by roughly 3 decibels and that shot-spotter systems in St. Louis are certified to detect suppressed gunfire.
A witness identified as Arnie C., described as a state public advocate, testified in support. He acknowledged risks tied to deviating from federal rules but emphasized local control and hearing protection for hunters and recreational shooters.
No committee vote on HB 1730 was recorded in this transcript excerpt; the hearing concluded after supporters testified.