By Tanya Metaksa
What’s New—The Silencer Question; Federal: National Right-to-Carry legislation has been introduced in both the House and the Senate; California: The Assembly Public Safety Committee is holding a hearing on March 10 on AB1743. The Silencer Question; Colorado: Dead—HB26-1072; Florida: On March 6, HB1551, strengthening protections for the firearms industry, passed the House; Georgia: SB499, which removes firearm suppressors from the list of dangerous weapons, is now before the Senate; New Hampshire: HB609 and HB1365 have passed the state House; Michigan: A package of bills aiming to grant Michigan gun owners the right to constitutional carry has been introduced; New Jersey: West Milford joined the list of towns adjusting the Right-to-Carry fees; Ohio: On March 4, the Senate Armed Services, Veterans Affairs, and Public Safety Committee held a successful vote on SB214; Vermont: A comprehensive gun control proposal, H606, is scheduled for a hearing before the Vermont House Judiciary Committee on March 11; Wyoming: The Senate passed HB39, HB96, and HB98.
The Silencer Question
The One Big Beautiful Bill that eliminated the $200 federal tax stamp on National Firearms Act items has sparked a flurry of lawsuits against the National Firearms Act, which is now a federal tax law without a tax. However, the possibility that the NFA could be eliminated might cause issues in some states.
Currently, silencers are legal in 42 states, and I bet any reader of this column can easily guess which states they are not legal in — California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. The Silencer Shop has a website that explains the laws in each state.
Several states have silencer laws that only allow ownership if the silencer has been registered with the federal government. If the NFA is repealed, silencer owners in those states could be violating the law.
However, if any of the lawsuits currently progressing through the federal court system invalidate the NFA, some of these state statutes could lead current owners of silencers to violate their state laws.
South Dakota has already taken action, with Governor Larry Rhoden signing SB2 into law on Feb. 10. Silencer bills have also been introduced in Alaska, Georgia, and Ohio. Gun owners in those states need to rally support for these bills this year. However, there are still 39 other potential states.
Federal
National Right-to-Carry legislation has been introduced in both the House and the Senate: H.R. 645 in the House and S. 4013 in the Senate. When he introduced the bill, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) announced that he aimed to eliminate the need for federal permission to carry a handgun for self-defense nationwide.
State Legislatures
All state legislatures, except Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, and Texas, are in session in 2026.
California: The Assembly Public Safety Committee is holding a hearing on AB 1743 on March 10. This bill will expand access to California’s already unconstitutional firearms databases. Most of us still remember the 2022 data breach by the California DOJ.
Colorado: Dead—HB26-1072 wouldeliminate Colorado’s red flag gun law and states that the state cannot confiscate guns unless there are strong, formal due process protections in place. Both HB26-1128, which would require gun dealers to get a separate state permit specifically for transferring firearms, increase mandatory training for dealers and their staff, and SB26-004, which would allow many more people to request a court order for a red flag, including broadly defined “institutional” actors connected with schools, colleges, or health-care facilities, remain very viable.
Florida: On March 6, HB1551, which strengthens protections for the firearms industry, passed the House. To become law, it must also pass the Senate and then await the governor’s signature.
Georgia: SB499, which removes firearm suppressors from the list of dangerous weapons, is now pending before the Senate, while the companion bill, HB1324, seems stalled.
Michigan: A package of bills aimed at granting Michigan gun owners the right to constitutional carry has been introduced. The bill package includes HB5363 through HB5367. They are now waiting for action in the House Judiciary Committee. A link to contact your Michigan representatives is available here.
New Hampshire: Two bills to standardize NH gun laws across the state are now before the Senate Judiciary Committee. To become law, these bills must pass this committee, then the legislature, and finally receive the governor’s signature.
HB1365 would restrict the information that can be requested on the voluntary state pistol/revolver license application, reverting it to the older, minimal version while safeguarding privacy and Second Amendment rights.
HB609 would centralize weapons regulation within the New Hampshire legislature and prevent both local governments and executive agencies from establishing their own potentially conflicting rules on firearms and other self-defense tools.
New Jersey: We have been reporting on efforts in the state supported by CCRKBA, NRA-ILA, and the NJFOS (New Jersey Firearms Syndicate), where municipalities have refunded nearly all fees required to obtain a carry permit. On March 4, West Milford became the 18th municipality to join the list.
In September 2025, a three-judge panel of the Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled against New Jersey’s $50 carry permit fee. They determined that the fee’s purpose did not cover the costs of administering the licensing process and maintaining public order. Since June last year, with the support of the three Second Amendment groups, and following the court’s decision, towns across New Jersey have begun rejecting the municipal portion of these fees mandated by the state. They argue that these fees are unnecessary and exceed the administrative costs of processing applications.
Ohio: On March 4, the Senate Armed Services, Veterans Affairs, and Public Safety Committee approved a bill to remove firearm suppressors from the definition of “dangerous ordnance” in the Ohio Revised Code.
Oregon: On March 5, the Senate passed an amended HB4145, now engrossed as HB 4145 B. Since it was amended, it returns to the House for concurrence. The amendment moves the implementation date of Ballot Measure 114 to Jan. 1, 2028, and includes a legislative intent section to avoid conflict with the current court case in the Oregon Supreme Court. Vermont: Vermont’s comprehensive gun control proposal, H606, is scheduled for a hearing before the Vermont House Judiciary Committee on March 11. The legislation includes a wide range of firearm restrictions and policy changes supported by national gun control advocacy groups.
Supporters see the bill as a way to boost public safety, but opponents say it goes after legal gun owners instead of fighting violent crime.
Key Provisions of H606:
Sections 1–2: Increase penalties for firearm theft and for violent felons found in possession of firearms.
Section 3: Expands the list of “prohibited persons” to include individuals receiving certain types of mental health treatment that are not currently disqualifying under federal law.
Section 4: Prohibits possession of machine guns, conversion devices, and broadly defined “rapid-fire devices.” This section may include accessories that increase a firearm’s rate of fire and appear to lack exemptions for federally registered firearms.
Section 5: Authorizes lawsuits against firearm manufacturers, distributors, and retailers, potentially circumventing federal protections under the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA). Critics warn this could severely impact firearm businesses and local Vermont manufacturers.
West Virginia: Last week, we discussed the new effort to undermine the Lautenberg Amendment by passing SB1071 in a very red state. Unfortunately, it was introduced after five weeks had passed during an eight-week session. Washington Gun Law on youtube.com interviewed Todd LaNeve, a West Virginia attorney who is president of WV Gun Law, to find out why this proposal seems to have stalled in the Senate judiciary committee. LaNeve did not answer the question about why it has stalled but promised to find out and report back. Thus, as of now, SB1071 remains in the Judiciary Committee.
Wyoming: The Senate passed HB39, HB96, and HB98. Now they are headed to Governor Gordon, who is expected to sign them.
