Buckeye Reporter

On June 25, 2025, the Buckeye Firearms Association (BFA) presented testimony to the Ohio Senate Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee in favor of Senate Bill 214. The bill, sponsored by Senator Kyle Koehler (R-Springfield), aims to amend the Ohio Revised Code by removing suppressors and mufflers from the definition of dangerous ordnance. It also seeks to eliminate the requirement for suppressor registration under the National Firearms Act.

This legislative move aligns with federal efforts encapsulated in H.R.1, referred to as President Donald Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill," which intends to remove suppressors from NFA regulations entirely. While the U.S. House of Representatives has passed this bill narrowly, its outcome in the U.S. Senate remains uncertain.

During the second hearing for SB 214, Rob Sexton, BFA's Legislative Affairs Director, testified before the committee:

"Mr. Chairman, members of the Senate Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Public Safety Committee, I am Rob Sexton, Legislative Affairs Director for Buckeye Firearms Association. BFA is Ohio’s premier defender of the Second Amendment. We are proponents of Senate Bill 214, a common sense measure, and ask this committee to favorably send it to the full Senate for consideration."

Sexton highlighted that both chambers of Congress have discussed removing firearm noise suppressors from NFA regulations and eliminating an excise tax on them while maintaining standard background checks for buyers.

"Ohio needs to prepare for these outcomes because law-abiding firearms owners... will be caught between conflicting federal and state law," Sexton noted.

He addressed misconceptions about suppressors stemming from their portrayal in entertainment media: "Noise suppressors do not 'silence' gunfire... Noise suppressors are most commonly used by sportsmen and women and target shooters because they help preserve our hearing."

Sexton urged alignment with pending federal action: "Senate Bill 214 will align Ohio law with the pending federal action in Congress... We’re thankful to Senator Koehler for introducing this important bill."

The proposed legislation would allow firearm owners in Ohio to use suppressors without facing taxation or registration burdens if passed.