“Silencers exist in Hollywood,” Senator Haines said. “These are suppressors, they don’t eliminate the sound, they slightly reduce it.”

Illinois Senator Bill Haine is speaking out against the misnomer Hollywood has created on suppressors and championing a bill that would make them legal in the Land of Lincoln.

“This is a health measure. It’s important to avoid hearing loss,” Haines said.

The bill has been assigned to the Criminal Law Committee. One scheduled hearing was canceled in January and no new hearings have been set.

The bill, SB 50, also includes a number of other amendments to state gun laws, including training for police chiefs, notification to the FBI if someone on the Terror Watchlist applies for a Firearm Owners Identification card, adds being charged with making a terroristic threat or providing material support for terrorism as grounds to deny or revoke a firearms card and requires Illinois State Police to provide notice to law enforcement agencies when someone is disqualified to purchase firearms or has their firearm owner’s card revoked.

“We’re waiting on a committee hearing,” said Todd Vandermyde, a legislative liaison with the National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action in the state of Illinois. “We’re the only state between New York and California where they’re illegal.”

According to the NRA-ILA, hearing loss can occur at above 140 decibels, gunshots range from about 144 decibels for .22 rim-fire rounds to 172 decibels for larger rounds. Suppressors are able to reduce that level by about 30 decibels and can cost between $800 to $1,200, plus the $200 tax. Paperwork to approve the purchase of a suppressor can also take six to eight months to be processed.