Stopping Harmful and Outrageous Torts Act

Key Points

• The bill expands legal immunity for gun manufacturers, sellers, and trade associations by broadening the definition of lawsuits that must be dismissed. It covers claims for damages, punitive damages, injunctive relief, restitution, fines, and more when the harm stems from criminal or unlawful misuse of firearms by a third party.
• All lawsuits that qualify under the expanded definition and are currently pending in court would be immediately thrown out on the date the bill becomes law, cutting off ongoing litigation against gun companies.
• Foreign governments are completely blocked from suing U.S. gun companies in any American court, with no exceptions. Even the narrow carve-outs that allow some domestic lawsuits (like defective product claims) do not apply to foreign governments.
• Gun companies that successfully get a lawsuit dismissed under this act would be entitled to collect their legal fees from the person who sued them, creating a financial risk for anyone who files suit against the industry.
• The bill lets gun companies move lawsuits from state courts to federal courts and take immediate appeals if a judge refuses to dismiss a case, giving the industry procedural advantages that most defendants do not have.
• The bill explicitly preempts all state and local laws that impose liability on gun manufacturers and sellers for harms caused by criminal misuse, overriding state-level efforts to hold the industry accountable.

Votes

No votes have been recorded for this legislation yet.