On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act” into law, a nearly 1,000-page legislative package delivering sweeping tax cuts, budget reforms, and regulatory changes that mark a victory for Second Amendment advocates (White House).
A key provision eliminates the $200 excise tax on suppressors, short-barreled rifles, and short-barreled shotguns, and the $5 excise tax on “any other weapons” imposed by the National Firearms Act (NFA). The bill had been intended to remove those items entirely from regulation under the NFA, but was amended based on the Senate Parliamentarian’s conclusion that such provision did not meet the fiscal requirements for a budget reconciliation bill that the Senate can pass based on a simple majority vote. While NFA registration and background check requirements remain in place, the new law—the first major NFA reform in decades—eases financial burdens for law-abiding firearm owners. Gun rights groups, like Gun Owners of America (GOA), have already filed lawsuits arguing that the NFA’s remaining requirements are unconstitutional, potentially paving the way for further deregulation. And, despite the fact that the new law simply removes the excise tax and leaves all other NFA regulations regarding suppressors intact, critics, like Giffords, complain that increased suppressor use could complicate law enforcement’s ability to detect gunfire.
In another development, on July 4, 2025, the Department of Justice (DOJ) declined to seek review by the Supreme Court in the case of Reese v. ATF, solidifying a unanimous January 2025 Fifth Circuit decision striking down federal laws barring licensed dealers from selling handguns to adults between the ages of 18 and 20 on the basis that it violates the Second Amendment. This Fifth Circuit decision allows young adults in Texas, Mississippi, and Louisiana to purchase handguns from dealers, potentially influencing similar challenges nationwide. The DOJ’s choice to forgo requesting Supreme Court review of the Reese decision reflects a growing tide against restrictive enforcement of firearm laws under the Trump administration, signaling its commitment to expanding firearm access to law abiding Americans.
Renzulli Law Firm will continue to monitor the implementation of this law, related litigation, and its potential impacts. If you have any questions about the law, please contact John F. Renzulli or Christopher Renzulli.