A controversial bill that would make it easier for the people to sue firearms manufacturers and sellers was approved by the Connecticut Senate yesterday.
The bill, HB 7042, or the Firearms Responsibility Act, is on Gov. Ned Lamont’s desk. It passed through the Senate with a 25-11 vote on May 29. Only one Democrat, Sen. Catherine Osten (Columbia) voted against it, and only one Republican, Sen. Tony Hwang (Fairfield) voted for it.
“It’s an attack on lawful business owners in the firearm industry alone, with civil liability based on the unforeseen actions of criminals,” Sen. Rob Sampson (R-Wolcott) said in a press statement. Sampson is the senior deputy Republican Senator. “There are vague and subjective terms—trap doors—throughout, which are a dream for anti-gun activists and litigators looking to harm the industry with meritless cases. This is simply a political bill disguised as an effort to keep people safe.”
The bill, if signed into law, would require entities and individuals who manufacture, distribute, import, market, or sell firearms to implement “reasonable controls” to make sure that the firearms they are selling do not fall into the hands of straw purchasers, firearms traffickers, people prohibited from owning guns, and people who the seller, manufacturer or importer has “reasonable cause” to believe will use firearms illegally.
Under the provisions of the proposed law, companies and people who manufacture or sell firearms may be held liable in civil lawsuits by victims of illegal firearms activity, municipalities and the state Attorney General.
In the past, Attorney General William Tong has taken legal action against manufacturers and sellers to try and crack down on “ghost guns.” In 2023, he sued four out-of-state manufacturers who advertised and sold ghost gun components in Connecticut, and has so far reached a civil settlement with three of those manufacturers. More recently, in December, Tong joined a multistate coalition to “combat gun violence.”
“This bill does not address gun violence, or criminals who choose to commit it. This bill represents a concerted national effort to effectively litigate the firearm industry out of business,” Sampson said.
Senate Republicans tried to introduce 18 amendments to the bill, all of which were voted down. The proposed amendments would have clarified certain terms to limit the exposure of firearm industry businesses, removed gun crimes from the state’s “Clean Slate” laws, prevented plea bargains for Class A or B felony gun crimes, allowed for police consent searches and provided grant funding for towns to hire School Resource Officers.
“The message is clear: If you manufacture, sell, or promote legal firearms in Connecticut, you are no longer welcome here. It will have a chilling effect on the state’s firearm industry, and thus your innate right to self-defense through the Second Amendment, the likes of which we have never seen. This is not about public safety and will not save a single life. If this bill is in fact signed into law, there is national legal precedent that may overturn it. I hope that common sense prevails with a veto by the Governor,” Sampson said.
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