1.1                          A bill for an act
  1.2             relating to firearms; authorizing the use of silencers 
  1.3             to muffle discharges of firearms for natural resource 
  1.4             wildlife control; amending Minnesota Statutes 2004, 
  1.5             section 609.66, subdivisions 1h, 2. 
  1.6   BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
  1.7      Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 609.66, 
  1.8   subdivision 1h, is amended to read: 
  1.9      Subd. 1h.  [SILENCERS; AUTHORIZED FOR LAW ENFORCEMENT AND 
  1.10  NATURAL RESOURCE WILDLIFE CONTROL PURPOSES.] Notwithstanding 
  1.11  subdivision 1a, paragraph (a), clause (1), licensed peace 
  1.12  officers may use devices designed to silence or muffle the 
  1.13  discharge of a firearm for wildlife control operations under 
  1.14  subdivision 2 or for tactical emergency response operations.  
  1.15  Tactical emergency response operations include execution of high 
  1.16  risk search and arrest warrants, incidents of terrorism, hostage 
  1.17  rescue, and any other tactical deployments involving high risk 
  1.18  circumstances.  The chief law enforcement officer of a law 
  1.19  enforcement agency that has the need to use silencing devices 
  1.20  must establish and enforce a written policy governing the use of 
  1.21  the devices. 
  1.22     Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 609.66, 
  1.23  subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
  1.24     Subd. 2.  [EXCEPTIONS.] Nothing in this section prohibits: 
  1.25     (1) the possession of the articles mentioned by museums or 
  2.1   collectors of art or for other lawful purposes of public 
  2.2   exhibition; and 
  2.3      (2) the possession, use, and transportation of a silencer 
  2.4   by a federal, state, local, or tribal government agency for the 
  2.5   purpose of wildlife control.  The principle director of each 
  2.6   government agency that has a need to use silencing devices must 
  2.7   establish and enforce a written policy governing the use of the 
  2.8   devices.