A new congressional bill called the Hearing Protection Act might make it easier for gun owners to pull the trigger without inadvertently blowing out their eardrums.

Since the National Firearms Act was passed in 1934, gun suppressors have been classified as Title II devices that require a specific registration and application procedure. If you wish to buy a suppressor for your firearm, you have to complete a Form 4 application, pay a $200 tax and receive the same background check you would if you were purchasing a machine gun. The entire process takes months.

The American Suppressor Association explained in its press release that the Hearing Protection Act is motivated by a desire to preserve the hearing of gun owners, not make it easier for people to shoot guns without being noticed like in the movies.

Despite common Hollywood-based misconceptions, the laws of physics dictate that no suppressor will ever be able to render gunfire silent. Suppressors are simply mufflers for firearms, which function by trapping the expanding gasses at the muzzle, allowing them to slowly cool in a controlled environment. On average, suppressors reduce the noise of a gunshot by 20 – 35 decibels (dB), roughly the same sound reduction as earplugs or earmuffs. In addition to hearing protection, suppressors also mitigate noise complaints from those who live near shooting ranges and hunting lands.

If the law were passed, suppressors would be treated under the law in the same way as normal firearms, and citizens can get their hands on a suppressor without waiting months, completing extra paperwork or paying 200 bucks.

It is legal to own gun suppressors in 41 states, and it is legal to hunt with a suppressor in 37 states.