Ohio: Governor DeWine Signs Financial Privacy and Prohibition of Firearm Liability Insurance Bill

On January 8th, Governor DeWine signed Senate Bill 58, a bill prohibiting the state from requiring fees or firearms liability insurance as a condition of firearm ownership. Additionally, Senate Bill 148, the Second Amendment Privacy Act, was amended into the bill. 

SB 58 prohibits the state from requiring fees or liability insurance to possess firearms. Mandating that law-abiding gun owners purchase firearm liability insurance is an unnecessary financial burden that infringes upon a constitutionally protected right. Forcing gun owners to incur additional fees on top of the already expensive costs of purchasing and maintaining firearms will only make it more difficult for law-abiding citizens to defend themselves and their families. Furthermore, liability insurance will never cover criminal acts, and those who break the law are already liable through our justice system.

SB 148 will prohibit the use of firearm-specific Merchant Category Codes, which could be used to track firearm purchases and create a registry of lawful gun buyers. This is an important protection for gun owners, protecting private purchase data from abuse by third parties.

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