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LouisianaHB 2892025 Regular SessionHouseWALLET

LIABILITY/CIVIL: Provides relative to civil liability of firearm and ammunition manufacturers and distributors

Sponsored By: R. Dewith Carrier (Republican)

Signed by Governor

Judiciary CCivil Law and Procedure

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Bill Overview

Analyzed Economic Effects

4 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 3 costs, 0 mixed.

Local governments face gun lawsuit limits

Louisiana bars local governments from seeking damages or court orders against gun and ammunition businesses and trade associations over lawful design, manufacturing, marketing, or sales. The state retains authority to bring covered actions. Local governments can still sue for breach of contract over firearms or ammunition they purchased. Violating the lawsuit ban can trigger attorney fees and court costs. If a court finds a lawsuit improperly brought under this restriction, it must award reasonable attorney fees, court costs, lost income, and all expenses to the defendant.

Fewer gun safety and warning claims

A gun is not unreasonably dangerous just because it lacks certain safety devices, unless federal or state rules require them. These devices limit use to authorized users, show a chambered cartridge, or stop firing when the magazine is removed. A gun's or ammunition's ability to cause serious injury through normal use or legal or illegal firing does not establish a defect. Gun and ammunition businesses are also protected from claims over missing warnings about serious injury, property damage, or death when fired. That protection also covers warnings about unauthorized access, chambered cartridges, and firing without a magazine.

Narrower claims against gun businesses

Louisiana law broadly protects firearm and ammunition makers, distributors, and sellers from shooting claims. Claimants must prove that unreasonably dangerous construction or composition directly caused the injury, damage, or death. Businesses that follow federal and state transfer laws are protected from claims over unlawful, careless, or unintended use. The law treats manufacturing and sales by federally and state-licensed businesses as lawful and not unreasonably dangerous. It also removes the prior exception for assault weapons made in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(v).

Gun businesses recover legal defense costs

When a court finds a defendant not liable under Louisiana's firearm liability protections, it must award defense-related costs. The award covers all attorney fees, costs, lost income, and expenses caused by the lawsuit. The law sets no fixed dollar amount.

Sponsors & Cosponsors

Sponsor

  • R. Dewith Carrier

    Republican • House

Cosponsors

  • Troy D. Romero

    Affiliation unavailable

Roll Call Votes

All Roll Calls

Yes: 118 • No: 25

Senate vote • 6/2/2025

Read by title, passed by a vote of 27 yeas and 9 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

Yes: 27 • No: 9

House vote • 5/12/2025

Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 81, nays 14. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

Yes: 81 • No: 14

House vote • 5/6/2025

Reported with amendments

Yes: 10 • No: 2

Actions Timeline

  1. Signed by the Governor. Becomes Act No. 175.

    6/8/2025House

  2. Effective date: 08/01/2025.

    6/8/2025House

  3. Sent to the Governor for executive approval.

    6/5/2025House

  4. Signed by the President of the Senate.

    6/4/2025Senate

  5. Received from the Senate without amendments.

    6/3/2025House

  6. Enrolled and signed by the Speaker of the House.

    6/3/2025House

  7. Read by title, passed by a vote of 27 yeas and 9 nays, and ordered returned to the House. Motion to reconsider tabled.

    6/2/2025Senate

  8. Reported without Legislative Bureau amendments. Read by title and passed to third reading and final passage.

    6/1/2025Senate

  9. Read by title and referred to the Legislative Bureau.

    5/29/2025Senate

  10. Reported favorably.

    5/28/2025Senate

  11. Read second time by title and referred to the Committee on Judiciary C.

    5/13/2025Senate

  12. Read third time by title, roll called on final passage, yeas 81, nays 14. Finally passed, title adopted, ordered to the Senate.

    5/12/2025House

  13. Received in the Senate. Read first time by title and placed on the Calendar for a second reading.

    5/12/2025Senate

  14. Scheduled for floor debate on 05/12/2025.

    5/8/2025House

  15. Read by title, amended, ordered engrossed, passed to 3rd reading.

    5/7/2025House

  16. Reported with amendments (10-2).

    5/6/2025House

  17. Read by title, under the rules, referred to the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure.

    4/14/2025House

  18. Prefiled.

    4/2/2025House

  19. Under the rules, provisionally referred to the Committee on Civil Law and Procedure.

    4/2/2025House

Bill Text

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