Bottom Line: New Legislation Will Increase Funding for Wildlife Conservation

June 29, 2010 (WASHINGTON, DC) – In a vote of 412-6, the United States House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed a major piece of pro-sportsmen legislation.

The “Firearms Excise Tax Improvement Act of 2010” (H.R. 5552) will help firearm and ammunition manufacturers to grow business, and in the process increase funding for wildlife conservation.

That's because the majority of revenue for the Wildlife Restoration Trust Fund (Pittman Robinson) comes from a manufacturer-paid excise tax on firearms and ammunitions. Through excise-tax payments, firearm and ammunition manufacturers last year contributed nearly a half-billion dollars to wildlife conservation.

“Today is a major victory for firearms and ammunition manufacturers who will now be treated equally under the U.S. tax code, and as a result will be able to reinvest funds into researching and developing new products, purchasing new manufacturing machinery, and creating jobs,” said Jeff Crane, president of the Congressional Sportsmen's Foundation (CSF), H.R. 5552's sponsor.

The “Firearms Excise Tax Improvement Act of 2010” addresses the current practice that requires firearms and ammunition manufacturers to pay excise taxes more frequently (every two weeks) than other sporting-goods industries. This payment schedule forces many manufacturers to borrow money to ensure on-time payment. Industry members spend thousands of man-hours administering the paperwork to successfully complete the payments--monies that are due long before manufacturers are paid by their customers. 

“This legislation harmonizes the tax payment schedule with the other businesses that contribute excise taxes to the Pittman-Robertson fund,” said CSC Co-Chair Rep. Paul Ryan. 

The effort was supported by a broad coalition of sportsmen and conservation groups, including the National Shooting Sports Foundation, National Rifle Association, and Safari Club International.

Click here for CSF's full release.