Bill > S1653

This bill establishes a comprehensive legal framework for holding firearm industry members accountable for their business practices related to gun sales and distribution in Massachusetts. The legislation defines key terms like "firearm industry member" and "firearm industry product" and establishes specific requirements for how these entities must conduct business. Specifically, firearm industry members must implement reasonable controls to prevent sales to prohibited individuals, straw purchasers, or potential firearm traffickers, and are prohibited from manufacturing or marketing products in ways that could promote illegal conversions or target minors. The bill creates a legal mechanism allowing individuals who have been harmed by violations of these requirements to file civil lawsuits, with potential remedies including injunctive relief, compensatory and punitive damages, and attorney's fees. The legislation allows such actions to be filed within five years of a violation, and explicitly states that an intervening third-party act (like a firearm's misuse) does not automatically absolve a firearm industry member of liability if their original violation created a reasonably foreseeable risk of harm. The bill also includes a severability clause to ensure that if any part of the law is found invalid, the remaining provisions will remain in effect, and it does not limit other existing legal actions or obligations for firearm industry members.

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https://malegislature.gov/Bills/194/S1653