On July 28, the House Committee on Oversight and Reform announced that Rep. Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA) sent a letter to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget requesting documents related to the State Department's decision to overturn its policy to restrict exports of firearm suppressors (also referred to as silencers) to official government end-users. For more information on this policy change, please refer to our July 15, 2020 Export Compliance News Alert. Considering the political taint that has attached to all things related to firearms, this development is not surprising. Noteworthy, although admittedly predictable, is the fact that neither the letter request (reprinted below) nor the web announcement acknowledge the legality, popularity and widespread availability of firearm suppressors throughout the world. On this important point the letter and the announcement are both completely silent.
We will continue to bring you updates as this issue unfolds.
The above alert is for informational purposes only and is not intended to be construed or used as legal advice. Receipt of this alert does not establish an attorney-client relationship.
Reeves & Dola is a Washington, DC law firm that specializes in helping clients navigate the highly regulated and complex world of manufacturing, sales and international trade of defense and commercial products. We have a deep understanding of the Federal regulatory process, and use our expertise in working with a variety of Federal agencies to assist our clients with their transactional and regulatory needs.
