Utah Gov. Spencer Cox Signs Bill Further Protecting Gun Makers from Frivolous Lawsuits

On Thursday, Utah Gov. Spencer Cox (R) signed legislation adding greater state-level protections to gun makers to further protect them from frivolous lawsuits.

The legislation is HB 214.

The NRA-ILA reported that it “strengthens liability protections for firearm manufacturers, sellers, and trade associations by ensuring they cannot be held liable for the criminal misuse of lawful products.”

Moreover, the protections contained in HB 214 are “occupied by the state legislature,” which means the Utah preemption statute comes into play. This bars municipalities from passing local ordinances that open the door to a threshold of liability protection that is any less than that at the state level.

George W. Bush signed the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA) into law in 2005 with the goal of protecting gun makers from lawsuits over the criminal misuse of lawfully made and lawfully sold products. But in recent years, the gun control lobby has been filing suits on the periphery, trying to find a way to financially cripple gun manufacturers.

Utah’s new law is meant to strengthen the periphery.

The National Shooting Sports Foundation’s Nephi Cole said, “Utah lawmakers recognized that malevolent actors have ignored the federal PLCAA to bring frivolous lawsuits against members of the firearm and ammunition industry for the criminal misuse of lawfully sold firearms. With Governor Cox’s signature, Utah is making clear that gun control advocates will not be allowed to launch junk lawsuits against the firearm industry in Utah.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio and the director of global marketing for Lone Star Hunts. He holds a PhD in Military History with a focus on the Vietnam War (brown water navy), U.S. Navy since Inception, the Civil War, and Early Modern Europe. He enjoys reading Philosophy and novels by Jack Carr and Nelson DeMille. Follow him on X: @awrhawkins. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com.