,i  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cded  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,june #bd1 #bjai,mrs4
 ,watson ,coleman 7for herself1 ,mr4    
,payne1 ,mr4 ,suozzi1 ,ms4 ,schakowsky1 
,ms4 ,houlahan1 and ,mr4 ,rush7         
introduced the following bill2 which was
 referred to the ,committee on the      
,judiciary  ,a ,,bill  ,to regulate     
firearm silencers and firearm mufflers4 
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,help ,empower ,americans to    
,respond ,act or the ,,hear ,act4  #b4  
,definitions ,section #iba7;a7 of title 
#ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended--
  7#a7 in paragraph 7#c71 by striking   
7,c7 any firearm muffler or firearm     
silencer2 or 7,d7 and inserting or 7,c72
 and  7#b7 by inserting after paragraph 
7#bi7 the following3  7#cj7 ,the term   
qualified law enforcement officer has   
the meaning given the term in section   
#ibf;,b4  4  #c4 ,restrictions on       
firearm silencers and firearm mufflers  
7a7 ,in general ,section #ibb of title  

#ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
by inserting after subsection 7u7 the   
following3  7v7  7#a7 ,except as        
provided in paragraph 7#b71 it shall be 
unlawful for a person to import1 sell1  
manufacture1 transfer1 or possess1 in or
 affecting interstate or foreign        
commerce1 a firearm silencer or firearm 
muffler4  7#b7 ,paragraph 7#a7 shall not
 apply to-- 7,a7 the importation for1   
manufacture for1 sale to1 transfer to1  
or possession by the ,united ,states or 
a department or agency of the ,united   
,states or a ,state or a department1    
agency1 or political subdivision of a   
,state1 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 department1 agency1 or      
political subdivision of a ,state for   
purposes of law enforcement 7whether on 
or off duty71 or a sale or transfer to  
or possession by a campus law           

enforcement officer for purposes of law 
enforcement 7whether on or off duty72   
7,b7 the importation for1 or sale or    
transfer to a licensee under title ,i of
 the ,atomic ,energy ,act of #aied 7#db 
,u4,s4,c4 #bjaa et seq47 for purposes of
 establishing and maintaining an on-site
 physical protection system and security
 organization required by ,federal law1 
or possession by an employee or         
contractor of such licensee on-site for 
such purposes or off-site for purposes  
of licensee-authorized training or      
transportation of nuclear materials2 or 
7,c7 the importation for1 manufacture   
for1 sale to1 transfer to1 or possession
 by a licensed manufacturer or licensed 
importer for the purposes of testing or 
experimentation authorized by the       
,attorney ,general4  7#c7 ,for purposes 
of paragraph 7#b77;,a71 the term campus 
law enforcement officer means an        
individual who is-- 7,a7 employed by a  
private institution of higher education 
that is eligible for funding under title

 ,,iv of the ,higher ,education ,act of 
#aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajgj et seq472    
7,b7 responsible for the prevention or  
investigation of crime involving injury 
to persons or property1 including       
apprehension or detention of persons for
 such crimes2  7,c7 authorized by       
,federal1 ,state1 or local law to carry 
a firearm1 execute search warrants1 and 
make arrests2 and  7,d7 recognized1     
commissioned1 or certified by a         
government entity as a law enforcement  
officer4  4  7b7 ,seizure and forfeiture
 of firearm silencers and firearm       
mufflers ,section #ibd7;d7 of title #ah1
 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended--    
7#a7 in paragraph 7#a71 by striking or  
7k7 and inserting 7k71 or 7v72 and  7#b7
 in paragraph 7#c77;,e71 by inserting   
#ibb7v71 after #ibb7n714  #d4 ,penalties
 ,section #ibd7;a77#a77;,b7 of title    
#ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 is amended  
by striking or 7q7 and inserting 7q71 or
 7v74  #e4 ,use of ,byrne grants for    
buy-back programs for firearm silencers 

and firearm mufflers  7a7 ,in general   
,section #eja7;a77#a7 of title ,i of the
 ,omnibus ,crime ,control and ,safe     
,streets ,act of #aifh 7#cd ,u4,s4,c4   
#ajaeb7;a77#a77 is amended by adding at 
the end the following3  7,i7            
,compensation for surrendered firearm   
silencers and firearm mufflers1 as those
 terms are defined in section #iba of   
title #ah1 ,united ,states ,code1 under 
the buy-back program for firearm        
silencers and firearm mufflers required 
under section #e7;b7 of the  ,act of    
#bjai4  4  7b7 ,requirement ,during the 
#ij-;day period described in section #f1
 the ,attorney ,general shall establish 
and implement a buy-back program1 to be 
carried out across the ,united ,states1 
to purchase firearm silencers and       
firearm mufflers 7as defined in section 
#iba7;a7 of title #ah1 ,united ,states  
,code7 from individuals seeking to      
comply with the requirements of this    
,act and the amendments made by this    
,act4  #f4 ,effective date ,the         

amendments made by sections #b1 #c1 and 
#d shall take effect on the date that is
 #ij days after the date of enactment of
 this ,act4  #g4 ,severability ,if any  
provision of this ,act1 an amendment    
made by this ,act1 or the application of
 such provision or amendment to any     
person or circumstance is held to be    
unconstitutional1 the remainder of this 
,act1 the amendments made by this ,act1 
and the application of such provision or
 amendment to any person or circumstance
 shall not be affected thereby4