Arizona: House Passes Frivolous Lawsuit Prevention

Earlier this week, the Arizona House passed an amended Senate Bill 1382, to protect Second Amendment rights from frivolous lawsuits. It will now go back to the Senate for concurrence. Please contact your state senator and ask them to concur with the House amendments to SB 1382.

Senate Bill 1382, as amended by the House, protects firearm dealers, manufacturers, distributors, etc., from frivolous lawsuits for the criminal or unlawful use of their product. While federal law currently has this protection, as the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), President Biden has promised to repeal the PLCAA as a main part of his assault on the Second Amendment. Prior to Congress passing PLCAA in 2005, 34 states passed similar laws on their own. With this measure, Arizona can add an additional layer of protection to prevent anti-gun extremists from attempting to bankrupt law-abiding businesses by suing them for the third party, criminal misuse of their legal products.

Additionally, SB 1382 still retains language from the original version that designates firearm and ammunition retailers as essential businesses. This ensures that anti-gun officials and bureaucrats cannot unjustly target them, to shut them down during states of emergencies.

Again, please contact your state senator and ask them to concur with the House amendments to SB 1382.