Utah bill would mean CLEO “shall sign” NFA applications
Utah is home to SilencerCo, one the fastest growing silencer companies around. But apparently some Beehive State law enforcement officials still are not convinced that law-abiding Utahns should be able to thread on sound suppressors, and as a result some are refusing to sign forms related to items regulated by the National Firearms Act. That could change if new legislation introduced in the Utah legislature on Thursday becomes law.
House Bill 373 would require law enforcement officials presented with an ATF form requiring a CLEO certification to return the form within fifteen days. During those fifteen days the CLEO would have to perform a background check and either sign the form or provide a written explanation for refusing to sign.
H.B. 373 was introduced by Representative Ryan Wilcox. Similar legislation has been introduced in Arizona, Kansas, and Oklahoma. For more information on the effort to eliminate arbitrary CLEO denials, read the American Silencer Association’s release here.