California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill on Tuesday that will allow victims and survivors of gun violence and others to sue gun makers for negligence.

According to The Hill, the new California law is called the Firearm Industry Responsibility Act, which will take effect in July 2023.

The newly signed bill allows individuals, local governments, and the California attorney general to sue gun manufacturers if their firearms have caused harm or were used irresponsibly.

In a video statement, Newsom said almost every industry is being held accountable once their products have caused harm or injury, except for the gun-making sector.

The Democratic governor noted that the state of California will change that, adding that gun makers "can no longer hide from the mass destruction that they have caused."

Newsom's office said California's new law works within an exemption of the 2005 federal law by allowing lawsuits to proceed if gun manufacturers go against state laws regarding the sale and marketing of firearms.

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California's Firearm Industry Responsibility Act

Assembly Member Phil Ting, the San Francisco Democrat who wrote the bill, released a statement regarding the new law's approval. Ting noted that the firearms industry has benefited from federal immunity on civil lawsuits "for far too long," San Francisco Chronicle reported. 

He said this law might finally compel gun makers to take every step possible to prevent illegal sales and theft, reducing gun violence.

The National Rifle Association has disapproved of the new law. The group argued that the measure aims to drive the industry players out of business.

The organization further noted that the newly passed bill did not detail gun manufacturers' steps to ensure that their products would not be used illegally.

The AB 1594, or Firearm Industry Responsibility Act, is the second measure Newsom signed targeting gun makers. Another measure aimed at gunmakers is the previously signed AB 2571, which bans gun manufacturers from marketing firearms to children.

It was a response to a company advertising a "JR-15" gun targeting children. The California governor also signed AB 2551, which mandates the state's Justice Department to inform local law enforcement when an individual not allowed to procure a gun tries to do so.

Gun Makers Lawsuit

A group of gun manufacturers, distributors, and retailers filed a lawsuit against New York, challenging the constitutionality of the state's law that allows New York and people affected by gun violence to sue the industry.

In May, CNBC reported that a federal judge threw out the said lawsuit. U.S. District Judge Mae D'Agostino rejected the National Shooting Sports Foundation and gun manufacturers' request to enjoin enforcement of the statute. Other manufacturers who joined in the lawsuit include Smith & Wesson and Sturm, Ruger & Co.

The judge's ruling came after a gunman killed 19 children and two adults at a Texas elementary school. The tragic incident renewed calls for stricter gun regulations, especially from Democrats.

Democratic former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a legal measure in July last year that aims to overcome legal hurdles protecting the gun industry from lawsuits.

A group of gun manufacturers argued that the law "wrongly imposes liability" on companies operating across the country that make or sell guns that are misused by New York criminals.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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