Mississippi Republican U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith of Brookhaven recently co-sponsored a bill that would prevent states from imposing excise taxes on firearms and ammunition, taxes that drive up costs for sportsmen, hunters and other law-abiding gun owners.

Hyde-Smith is an original co-sponsor of the Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act (S.4960), which would prohibit states from imposing excise taxes on firearms, ammunition, or their parts and components to fund gun control programs. The bill’s author is U.S. Senator James Risch (Republican of Idaho).

“States should not be allowed to use their taxing power to curtail the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding gun owners. But that’s exactly what they’re trying to do with these high excise taxes on firearms and ammunition,” Hyde-Smith said.

“The Democrats’ latest attack on the Second Amendment looks like an excessive excise tax to fund gun control initiatives,” Risch said. “The Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act ensures that states do not impose a significant financial burden on law-abiding gun owners to advance their anti-Second Amendment agenda.”

Starting July 1, 2024, California has implemented a new 10 to 11 percent excise tax on firearms and ammunition to discourage firearm purchases and fund gun control programs. These additional fees now double the tax on gun and ammunition purchases. Colorado, Vermont, New York, Massachusetts, Washington and New York have proposed similar taxes.

S.4960 would have no impact on existing federal excise taxes on firearms that benefit federal wildlife conservation programs.

The Freedom from Unfair Gun Taxes Act was supported by the Congressional Sportsmen’s Foundation, the National Shooting Sports Foundation and the National Rifle Association.