New to the art form? This Wall Street Journal article will get you orientated. Also, for more information on how some of these titles mislead lawmakers and the citizenry, find some academic commentary from Brian Christopher Jones here: https://works.bepress.com/brian_jones/.

Friday, October 6, 2017

SHARE Act after Vegas

The official short title and long title of the SHARE Act are quite innocuous. SHARE stands for "Sportsmen's Heritage And Recreational Enhancement", and the long title of the bill is: "To provide for the preservation of sportsmen's heritage and enhance recreation opportunities on Federal land, and for other purposes." But the bill does much more than that. It would remove restrictions on silencers, in addition to easing interstate travel for those carrying firearms, among an array of other things. Unsurprisingly, after Vegas this piece of legislation has become more contentious. CNN has said that the bill should "never become law", and John Cassidy of the New Yorker has noted that it is just another symbol of a "failed state". 

The bill also contains short titles for many of its internal portions, which include: 

  • Federal Land Transaction Facilitation Act Reauthorization
  • Fishing Protection Act
  • GO Act
  • Good Samaritan Search and Recovery Act
  • Grand Canyon Bison Management Act
  • Guides and Outfitters Act
  • Hearing Protection Act
  • Hunter Access Corridors Act
  • Hunter and Farmer Protection Act
  • Lawful Purpose and Self Defense Act
  • North American Wetlands Conservation Extension Act
  • Open Book on Equal Access to Justice Act
  • Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act
  • Recreational Fishing and Hunting Heritage and Opportunities Act
  • Recreational Lands Self-Defense Act
  • Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act

Some of these are highly questionable, if not downright laughable, such as the "Polar Bear Conservation and Fairness Act". This section has virtually nothing to do with conservation, as it would allow people to bring back polar bear "trophies" after (legally) hunting them in Canada. As to fairness, I'm not quite sure where that fits in, either. If you've already pegged the silencer portion as being under the "Hearing Protection Act" section, then you're right on! 

The SHARE Act has already passed Committee, and is due to come before the whole House soon. 

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