I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3454 
To regulate firearm silencers and firearm mufflers. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 24, 2019 
Mrs. WATSON COLEMAN (for herself, Mr. PAYNE, Mr. SUOZZI, Ms. SCHA-
KOWSKY, Ms. HOULAHAN, and Mr. RUSH) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary 
A BILL 
To regulate firearm silencers and firearm mufflers. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Help Empower Ameri-
cans to Respond Act’’ or the ‘‘HEAR Act’’. 
SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 
Section 921(a) of title 18, United States Code, is 
amended— 
(1) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘(C) any fire-
arm muffler or firearm silencer; or (D)’’ and insert-
ing ‘‘or (C)’’; and 
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(2) by inserting after paragraph (29) the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(30) The term ‘qualified law enforcement officer’ 
has the meaning given the term in section 926B.’’. 
SEC. 3. RESTRICTIONS ON FIREARM SILENCERS AND FIRE-
ARM MUFFLERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 922 of title 18, United 
States Code, is amended by inserting after subsection (u) 
the following: 
‘‘(v)(1) Except as provided in paragraph (2), it shall 
be unlawful for a person to import, sell, manufacture, 
transfer, or possess, in or affecting interstate or foreign 
commerce, a firearm silencer or firearm muffler. 
‘‘(2) Paragraph (1) shall not apply to— 
‘‘(A) the importation for, manufacture for, sale 
to, transfer to, or possession by the United States 
or a department or agency of the United States or 
a State or a department, agency, or political subdivi-
sion of a State, or a sale or transfer to or possession 
by a qualified law enforcement officer employed by 
the United States or a department or agency of the 
United States or a State or a department, agency, 
or political subdivision of a State for purposes of law 
enforcement (whether on or off duty), or a sale or 
transfer to or possession by a campus law enforce-
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ment officer for purposes of law enforcement (wheth-
er on or off duty); 
‘‘(B) the importation for, or sale or transfer to 
a licensee under title I of the Atomic Energy Act of 
1954 (42 U.S.C. 2011 et seq.) for purposes of estab-
lishing and maintaining an on-site physical protec-
tion system and security organization required by 
Federal law, or possession by an employee or con-
tractor of such licensee on-site for such purposes or 
off-site for purposes of licensee-authorized training 
or transportation of nuclear materials; or 
‘‘(C) the importation for, manufacture for, sale 
to, transfer to, or possession by a licensed manufac-
turer or licensed importer for the purposes of testing 
or experimentation authorized by the Attorney Gen-
eral. 
‘‘(3) For purposes of paragraph (2)(A), the term 
‘campus law enforcement officer’ means an individual who 
is— 
‘‘(A) employed by a private institution of higher 
education that is eligible for funding under title IV 
of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1070 et seq.); 
‘‘(B) responsible for the prevention or investiga-
tion of crime involving injury to persons or property, 
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including apprehension or detention of persons for 
such crimes; 
‘‘(C) authorized by Federal, State, or local law 
to carry a firearm, execute search warrants, and 
make arrests; and 
‘‘(D) recognized, commissioned, or certified by 
a government entity as a law enforcement officer.’’. 
(b) SEIZURE AND FORFEITURE OF FIREARM SILENC-
ERS AND FIREARM MUFFLERS.—Section 924(d) of title 
18, United States Code, is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1), by striking ‘‘or (k)’’ and 
inserting ‘‘(k), or (v)’’; and 
(2) in paragraph (3)(E), by inserting ‘‘922(v),’’ 
after ‘‘922(n),’’. 
SEC. 4. PENALTIES. 
Section 924(a)(1)(B) of title 18, United States Code, 
is amended by striking ‘‘or (q)’’ and inserting ‘‘(q), or 
(v)’’. 
SEC. 5. USE OF BYRNE GRANTS FOR BUY-BACK PROGRAMS 
FOR FIREARM SILENCERS AND FIREARM 
MUFFLERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Section 501(a)(1) of title I of the 
Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968 (34 
U.S.C. 10152(a)(1)) is amended by adding at the end the 
following: 
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