Capito Introduces Bill to Protect Second Amendment and Expand Access to Public Shooting Facilities

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) introduced legislation this week to protect the Second Amendment rights and hunting heritage enjoyed by countless Americans by making more funds available for the development of public shooting ranges.

 

“As a steadfast supporter of the Second Amendment, I am proud to sponsor this legislation that will increase access to public shooting ranges and protect our cherished hunting and fishing traditions,” said Senator Capito. “This bill responsibly increases the funding available for the development of public shooting ranges without increasing federal spending and encourages improved federal, state and local cooperation to maintain ranges on federal land and encourage their continued use.”

 

Sportsmen and women are major contributors to West Virginia’s economy. In 2011, hunters and anglers spent $870 million on hunting and fishing in West Virginia and supported nearly 12,600 jobs. Unfortunately, inaccessibility to federal public lands has become problematic throughout the country and could threaten this important sector of the economy.

 

The Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act (S.992) encourages states to develop additional shooting ranges by making more funds available to state fish and wildlife agencies through the Pittman-Robertson Act, a federal aid program that is financed by excise taxes on firearms.

 

Currently, under the Pittman-Robertson Act, funds can only be used to pay 75 percent of the cost of building or operating a public target range and states only have two years to access allotted funds. The Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act allows 90 percent of those funds to be used for public target ranges and allows states to retain funding for five years instead of two. States can use these funds to pay for acquiring land, expanding existing facilities and constructing new public facilities.

 

This legislation will result in no increase in federal spending because it does not alter either the formula or the amount of money allocated to each state or territory on an annual basis under the Pittman-Robertson Act.

 

The Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act is endorsed by the National Rifle Association and the National Shooting Sports Foundation.