national
Justice Department Ceases Enforcement of Key 1934 National Firearms Act Provisions
Just the facts
U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix of the Northern District of Texas ruled that regulatory provisions of the 1934 National Firearms Act could no longer be sustained under congressional taxing authority after Congress eliminated the $200 tax on covered weapons. The underlying legal challenge was filed in two consolidated lawsuits by 15 states alongside gun rights groups, including Gun Owners of America and the Gun Owners Foundation. Following a directive from President Donald Trump instructing the Department of Justice not to appeal the decision, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives announced it will immediately cease requiring federal approval for the domestic manufacture, transfer, or possession of short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and silencers. The Justice Department clarified that the policy change does not preempt state or local firearm statutes, adding that federal personnel will continue to process applications voluntarily for individuals seeking to comply with state-level registration laws.
Why this is news
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives released updated regulatory guidance confirming that the federal government will no longer enforce licensing and registration requirements under the National Firearms Act of 1934 for short-barreled rifles, short-barreled shotguns, and suppressors. The administrative decision follows a ruling by a federal district judge in Texas that declared large portions of the statute unconstitutional after Congress repealed the law's underlying tax.
Sources
This summary is compiled strictly from the original reporting below.