Explore The NRA Universe Of Websites

APPEARS IN News

Supreme Court Signals It May Rein In Federal Rulemakers

Monday, August 8, 2022

Supreme Court Signals It May Rein In Federal Rulemakers

While most of the attention from the end of the United States Supreme Court’s last term focused on several landmark cases, including a major win for gun owners in the NRA-supported case New York State Rifle and Pistol Assn., Inc. v. Bruen, SCOTUS also issued a decision that may substantially limit federal authority to regulate firearms.

In West Virginia v. Environmental Protection Agency, the Court evaluated whether the EPA had sufficient authority to issue an Obama-era regulation known as the Clean Power Plan (“CPP”). While that rule dealt with a regulation aimed at curbing emissions from power plants, when the Court opines on federal regulatory authority, the decision can often have far reaching consequences.

Most notably, the Court’s highest-profile modern decision on administrative law, Chevron U.S.A., Inc., v. Natural Resources Defense Council, Inc., also arose from a challenge to an EPA regulation, but has completely reshaped administrative law with far-reaching consequences beyond environmental law.

Federal regulators, including the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”), often cite so-called Chevron deference when defending new regulations. While the Court’s original decision required an evaluation of Congress’ intent in giving an agency regulatory authority, Chevron has evolved into a doctrine that is highly deferential to federal regulators.

NRA has recently filed amicus briefs in several cases challenging the federal ban on bump-fire stocks. Those briefs all argue for limiting the deference courts give to administrative agencies, at least for regulations that have potential criminal consequences.

Many had hoped that the Court would directly limit Chevron deference in the West Virginia case. While the Court did not directly limit Chevron, it did give weight to another statutory interpretation doctrine that may help rein in federal firearm regulations.

The Court resolved the case using the major question doctrine, holding that when a regulation involves a major question that “the agency must point to ‘clear congressional authorization’ for the authority it claims.” As to determining when a particular regulation may be a major question, the Court pointed to the exercise of previously “unheralded” authority and when the question involves one of vast political significance.

Under these factors, it is hard to see how ATF’s recent attempts to completely redefine what items constitute the “frame or receiver” of a “firearm” and effectively ban pistol stabilizing braces would not be major questions. They are both novel attempts at regulation and involve serious political significance (legislation has been introduced in Congress on both of these issues).

While it remains unclear how significant this new ruling will be, it certainly indicates that the Court is willing to conduct a thorough review of any new exercise of federal regulatory power.

TRENDING NOW
Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Strikes Maryland’s Handgun Qualification License Requirement in NRA-Backed Case.

Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals Strikes Maryland’s Handgun Qualification License Requirement in NRA-Backed Case.

On Tuesday, a three-judge panel of the United States Court of Appeals ruled that Maryland’s Handgun Qualification License (“HQL”) requirement is unconstitutional under the Second Amendment. 

Federal Judge in Colorado Insists There is No Second Amendment Right to Buy a Gun

News  

Monday, November 20, 2023

Federal Judge in Colorado Insists There is No Second Amendment Right to Buy a Gun

Honest people can disagree with the Founders’ decision to enshrine the Second Amendment within the Bill of Rights. They cannot, however, pretend that decision never happened. For much of the 20th Century, however, gun control activists ...

SCOTUS Bruen Decision (Unsurprisingly) Popular with American People

News  

Monday, November 20, 2023

SCOTUS Bruen Decision (Unsurprisingly) Popular with American People

When the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) released its decision last year in the landmark New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, Inc. v. Bruen case, anti-gun extremist organizations had a collective conniption ...

Seventh Circuit Strains to Uphold Illinois’ Gun and Magazine Ban

News  

Monday, November 13, 2023

Seventh Circuit Strains to Uphold Illinois’ Gun and Magazine Ban

At this point, gun owners and other productive Americans don’t anticipate much good news out of Chicago. On November 3, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit lived up to those expectations when it upheld Illinois’ ...

Following Terrorist Attack, Israel Relaxes Gun Laws and Arms Civilians

News  

Monday, October 16, 2023

Following Terrorist Attack, Israel Relaxes Gun Laws and Arms Civilians

Following an unprecedented terrorist attack on civilians that indiscriminately targeted even the elderly, women, and children, Israel has loosened its gun laws and is distributing firearms to civilians. As of press time, the number of victims killed in ...

Canadians on Canada’s Gun Control Measures: Expensive, Ineffective, Political Posturing

News  

Wednesday, September 6, 2023

Canadians on Canada’s Gun Control Measures: Expensive, Ineffective, Political Posturing

More than three years have passed since Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a ban and mandatory confiscation (“buyback”) of what he called “military grade assault weapons,” which was followed by a national handgun “freeze” ...

Updates to ATF Final Rule on Stabilizing Braces

News  

Monday, January 30, 2023

Updates to ATF Final Rule on Stabilizing Braces

On Monday, January 30, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ (ATF) published the final Factoring Criteria for Firearms with Attached “Stabilizing Braces” rule for public inspection in the federal register.

Two More Extreme Gun Control Agenda Items Surface for 2024: Expanding Red Flag Law & Shredding the New Mexico Constitution

Wednesday, November 15, 2023

Two More Extreme Gun Control Agenda Items Surface for 2024: Expanding Red Flag Law & Shredding the New Mexico Constitution

Since the 2023 New Mexico legislative session concluded back in March, NRA-ILA has warned gun owners that the same attacks we saw then on the Second Amendment would continue during the upcoming session in January, ...

Update: Gun Free Zones Ordinance on Agenda for the Nov 28 Kearney City Council Meeting

Wednesday, November 22, 2023

Update: Gun Free Zones Ordinance on Agenda for the Nov 28 Kearney City Council Meeting

On Tuesday, November 28th, the Kearney City Council meeting will have the “gun-free zone” ordinance on the agenda after facing significant public outcry since its passage. Recently, the Kearney City Council attempted to follow in ...

Massachusetts: Anti-Gun Bill Passes House

Wednesday, October 18, 2023

Massachusetts: Anti-Gun Bill Passes House

This evening, anti-gun politicians in the Massachusetts House of Representatives passed H. 4135, “an act modernizing firearm laws” by a vote of 120-38. This bill, formerly known as HD 4420 and HD 4607, now heads ...

MORE TRENDING +
LESS TRENDING -

More Like This From Around The NRA

NRA ILA

Established in 1975, the Institute for Legislative Action (ILA) is the "lobbying" arm of the National Rifle Association of America. ILA is responsible for preserving the right of all law-abiding individuals in the legislative, political, and legal arenas, to purchase, possess and use firearms for legitimate purposes as guaranteed by the Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.