House Passes Capito, Bennet Target Practice, Marksmanship Training Bill

Press Release

U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Michael Bennet (D-Colo.) today welcomed passage of the House companion bill to their Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act. The legislation, which passed the Senate by voice vote earlier this month, would provide a responsible incentive for creating and maintaining public shooting ranges.

"Hunting and shooting sports are important to many West Virginians as sources of recreation and economic growth," Senator Capito said. "By improving coordination at the federal, state, and local levels, our bipartisan legislation will help create and maintain shooting ranges so that even more people in our state and across the country can responsibly take part in these activities. I'm glad to see the House pass this bill and look forward to President Trump signing it into law soon."

"Sportsmen are a key component of our outdoor economy," Senator Bennet said. "Once signed into law, this bipartisan bill will expand opportunities for target shooting and marksmanship training, an important part of Colorado's heritage."

Opportunities for Americans to safely engage in recreational and competitive shooting have declined on both public and private lands in recent years. In response, the Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act would encourage states to develop additional shooting ranges by providing more flexibility to state fish and wildlife agencies regarding the use of funding made available through the Pittman-Robertson Act, a federal aid program financed by excise taxes on firearms.

Under the Pittman-Robertson Act, funds currently 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 would allow 90 percent of those funds to be used for public target ranges, and states would be able to retain funding for five years. States can use these funds to pay for acquiring land, expanding existing facilities, and constructing new public facilities.

Other original co-sponsors of the Target Practice and Marksmanship Training Support Act include Senators John Boozman (R-Ark.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Angus King (I-Maine), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Mike Rounds (R-S.D.), and Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska). It is endorsed by the National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) and the National Rifle Association.

"This has been a key piece of legislation for NSSF to grow and sustain hunting and recreational target shooting that will additionally benefit wildlife conservation. We are deeply appreciative to our leaders on both sides of the aisle and on both sides of Capitol Hill for their perseverance and foresight to benefit state wildlife agencies, recreational target shooting, and sustained wildlife conservation," said Lawrence G. Keane, NSSF senior vice president and general counsel. "This is crucial legislation that will give state fish and game agencies more flexibility to use Pittman-Robertson excise taxes dollars raised from the sale of firearms and ammunition to enhance existing public shooting ranges and to build new ones to meet the growing need for additional places for target shooters to participate in their sport. Public shooting ranges provide hunters a place to sight in rifles and shotguns before hunting seasons, for people to take firearm safety and hunter education courses, and for recreational target shooters to enjoy their sport."

More information on the legislation is available here.

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