Call to Action for Sen. Charles Schumer, D-NY and Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-NJ Still In Effect
Senate 724, (S.724), a bill to exempt hobby rocketry propellant from regulation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and
Explosives, has been introduced into the United States Senate by Sen. Michael Enzi. The NAR is supporting this bill and
trying to insure that NAR members are aware of its status as it makes its way through the Congress. These messages are
supplied by the NAR's legislative liasion, John Kyte, and will be posted here as we receive information on significant
developments.
Legislative Report for July 23, 2003
Senate Activity:
The substitute S. 724 remains on hold pending Senate floor action. The recent "call for political action" to generate letters to Sens. Schumer and Lautenburg to allow the bill to go to the Senate floor remains important and in effect (click here to see the sample letter and details about what action to take), but several points warrant clarification:
TRA and NAR do not endorse the substitute S 724. We are not pleased with the contents of the substitute bill, but right now it is the only game in town, and it is important that it not die in the Senate at this time because that will significantly diminish enthusiasm for introducing a companion bill in the House. As stated before, at this time, a companion bill in the House is our best opportunity to develop and pass a bill that is a major improvement over the current Senate bill. And failure to do anything means we are willing to accept the current motor weight limit of 62.5 grams.
TRA and NAR are in daily contact with Sen. Enzi's office and continue to work closely with him and support his efforts on behalf of hobby rocketry. Please see his recent letter to TRA and NAR.
If the substitute S 724 is voted out of the Senate, it is not the end of the battle, but a step along the way, and the substitute bill could still be killed even after being voted out of the Senate if that makes good sense for us down the road. Getting it out of the Senate preserves the issue and protects our options for now, but it in no way means we are accepting it as the final bill.
Any bill introduced in the Senate addressing rocketry issues will be automatically referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee. The Committee is highly unlikely to give this issue further consideration in this Congress.
Many alternative approaches to exempting rocket motors from permitting requirements, or establishing significant weight limits, were put before the Senate Judiciary Committee Members and staff, and all were rejected.
A bill could be drafted and attached as an amendment to a "must have" bill in the Senate, but such an amendment will not go unnoticed and will face strong opposition. This is not to suggest that we have not looked at this option, or that we would not support Sen. Enzi if such an opportunity arose and he chose to move forward on that path, but simply to point out that it is a difficult path to pursue.
TRA and NAR remain open to suggestions from all quarters, and we remain open to working cooperatively with other rocketry organizations. We also remain committed to providing our membership as accurate and realistic a portrayal of the legislative and political situation as possible, based on actual meetings and discussions with those closest to the issues.
House Activity:
We are working closely with three House Members interested in introducing a rocketry bill, and during a meeting yesterday agreed to use the August recess to draft initial legislative language and further refine House strategy.
NAR Representatives met recently with Rep. Sensenbrenner (R-WI), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, and his personal staff to discuss our issues and concerns, and were encouraged by his willingness to listen and consider our positions and possible options.
We have also begun discussing House legislation with Chairman Sensenbrenner's House Judiciary Committee staff and, while they have significant concerns about amending the Safe Explosives Act, they are willing to listen to our concerns and initial thoughts.
Chairman Sensenbrenner will be a key player in any House effort to pass legislation. At the appropriate time, we will be seeking member action on these issues.
IMPORTANT: We still need members from New York and New Jersey to send letters to their Senators as outlined earlier this week as soon as possible. Please click here to see the sample letter and details about what action to take.
Members from other states should NOT take action at this time.
As John passes further developments along, I'll post them here.
To see the current detailed status of S.724, click here.
As always, you can send me your comments via email, or mail them to me at
Mark Bundick
1350 Lilac Lane
Carol Stream, IL
60188-3369