HEAR Act of 2023
Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.
Help Empower Americans to Respond Act of 2023 or the HEAR Act of 2023
This bill establishes a new criminal offense for the import, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession of a firearm silencer or firearm muffler.
The bill does not prohibit certain conduct with respect to a firearm silencer or firearm muffler, including the following:
- importation, sale, manufacture, transfer, or possession related to certain law enforcement efforts, or authorized tests or experiments; and
- importation, sale, transfer, or possession related to securing nuclear materials.
In addition, the bill requires the Department of Justice to establish and implement a buy-back program to purchase firearm silencers and firearm mufflers. States and local governments may use Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program funds to compensate individuals who surrender firearm silencers and firearm mufflers under this buy-back program.
Referred to the House Committee on the Judiciary.
- Introduced in House Formatted Text PDF Formatted XML
Cite this page
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 2985: HEAR Act of 2023. 118th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-2985/
"H.R. 2985: HEAR Act of 2023." 118th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-2985/.
H.R. 2985, 118th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-2985/.
[H.R. 2985: HEAR Act of 2023](https://openamerica.io/bill/118-HR-2985/)