| 1 | 1 | | |
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| 2 | 2 | | |
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| 3 | 3 | | EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LAW. |
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| 4 | 4 | | [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. |
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| 5 | 5 | | *hb1158* |
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| 6 | 6 | | |
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| 7 | 7 | | HOUSE BILL 1158 |
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| 8 | 8 | | D3 5lr2799 |
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| 9 | 9 | | CF 5lr3093 |
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| 10 | 10 | | By: Delegate Phillips |
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| 11 | 11 | | Introduced and read first time: February 6, 2025 |
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| 12 | 12 | | Assigned to: Judiciary |
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| 13 | 13 | | |
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| 14 | 14 | | A BILL ENTITLED |
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| 15 | 15 | | |
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| 16 | 16 | | AN ACT concerning 1 |
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| 17 | 17 | | |
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| 18 | 18 | | Civil Actions Against Firearm Industry Members – Private Right of Action 2 |
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| 19 | 19 | | |
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| 20 | 20 | | FOR the purpose of authorizing certain persons to bring an action against a firearm 3 |
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| 21 | 21 | | industry member for certain violations; and generally relating to civil actions against 4 |
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| 22 | 22 | | firearm industry members. 5 |
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| 23 | 23 | | |
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| 24 | 24 | | BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 6 |
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| 25 | 25 | | Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 7 |
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| 26 | 26 | | Section 3–2502 8 |
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| 27 | 27 | | Annotated Code of Maryland 9 |
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| 28 | 28 | | (2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 10 |
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| 29 | 29 | | |
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| 30 | 30 | | BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 11 |
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| 31 | 31 | | Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 12 |
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| 32 | 32 | | Section 3–2503 13 |
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| 33 | 33 | | Annotated Code of Maryland 14 |
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| 34 | 34 | | (2020 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 15 |
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| 35 | 35 | | |
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| 36 | 36 | | SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 16 |
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| 37 | 37 | | That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 17 |
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| 38 | 38 | | |
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| 39 | 39 | | Article – Courts and Judicial Proceedings 18 |
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| 40 | 40 | | |
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| 41 | 41 | | 3–2502. 19 |
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| 42 | 42 | | |
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| 43 | 43 | | (a) A firearm industry member may not knowingly create, maintain, or contribute 20 |
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| 44 | 44 | | to harm to the public through the sale, manufacture, distribution, importation, or 21 |
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| 45 | 45 | | marketing of a firearm–related product by engaging in conduct that is: 22 |
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| 46 | 46 | | |
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| 47 | 47 | | (1) Unlawful; or 23 |
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| 48 | 48 | | 2 HOUSE BILL 1158 |
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| 49 | 49 | | |
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| 50 | 50 | | |
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| 51 | 51 | | (2) Unreasonable under the totality of the circumstances. 1 |
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| 52 | 52 | | |
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| 53 | 53 | | (b) A firearm industry member shall establish and implement reasonable controls 2 |
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| 54 | 54 | | regarding the sale, manufacture, distribution, importation, marketing, possession, and use 3 |
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| 55 | 55 | | of the firearm industry member’s firearm–related products. 4 |
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| 56 | 56 | | |
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| 57 | 57 | | (c) A violation of this section is a public nuisance. 5 |
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| 58 | 58 | | |
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| 59 | 59 | | 3–2503. 6 |
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| 60 | 60 | | |
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| 61 | 61 | | (a) (1) Subject to paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Attorney General, a 7 |
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| 62 | 62 | | county attorney, or the Baltimore City Solicitor may bring an action against a firearm 8 |
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| 63 | 63 | | industry member for a public nuisance caused by a violation of § 3–2502 of this subtitle. 9 |
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| 64 | 64 | | |
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| 65 | 65 | | (2) In an action brought under this subsection, the Attorney General, 10 |
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| 66 | 66 | | county attorney, or Baltimore City Solicitor may seek: 11 |
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| 67 | 67 | | |
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| 68 | 68 | | (i) Injunctive relief; 12 |
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| 69 | 69 | | |
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| 70 | 70 | | (ii) Restitution; 13 |
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| 71 | 71 | | |
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| 72 | 72 | | (iii) Compensatory and punitive damages; 14 |
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| 73 | 73 | | |
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| 74 | 74 | | (iv) Reasonable attorney’s fees and costs; and 15 |
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| 75 | 75 | | |
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| 76 | 76 | | (v) Any other appropriate relief. 16 |
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| 77 | 77 | | |
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| 78 | 78 | | (B) (1) A PERSON MAY BRING AN ACTION FOR DAMAG ES AGAINST A 17 |
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| 79 | 79 | | FIREARM INDUSTRY MEM BER FOR INJURY OR LO SS SUSTAINED AS A RE SULT OF A 18 |
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| 80 | 80 | | VIOLATION OF § 3–2502 OF THIS SUBTITLE. 19 |
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| 81 | 81 | | |
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| 82 | 82 | | (2) A PERSON WHO BRINGS AN ACTION UNDER THIS SU BSECTION MAY 20 |
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| 83 | 83 | | SEEK AND BE AWARDED : 21 |
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| 84 | 84 | | |
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| 85 | 85 | | (I) INJUNCTIVE RELIEF ; 22 |
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| 86 | 86 | | |
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| 87 | 87 | | (II) COMPENSATORY AND PUNITIVE DAMAGES; AND 23 |
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| 88 | 88 | | |
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| 89 | 89 | | (III) REASONABLE ATTORNEY ’S FEES AND COSTS . 24 |
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| 90 | 90 | | |
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| 91 | 91 | | (3) A PERSON WHO BRINGS AN ACTION UNDER THIS SU BSECTION 25 |
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| 92 | 92 | | SHALL, WITHIN 5 DAYS AFTER FILING TH E COMPLAINT: 26 |
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| 93 | 93 | | |
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| 94 | 94 | | (I) NOTIFY THE ATTORNEY GENERAL THAT THE PERS ON HAS 27 |
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| 95 | 95 | | BROUGHT THE ACTION; AND 28 HOUSE BILL 1158 3 |
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| 96 | 96 | | |
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| 97 | 97 | | |
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| 98 | 98 | | |
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| 99 | 99 | | (II) PROVIDE THE ATTORNEY GENERAL WITH A COPY O F THE 1 |
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| 100 | 100 | | COMPLAINT AND ANY OT HER DOCUMENTS OR PLE ADINGS FILED WITH TH E 2 |
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| 101 | 101 | | COMPLAINT. 3 |
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| 102 | 102 | | |
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| 103 | 103 | | [(b)] (C) A party seeking relief under this section is not required to prove that a 4 |
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| 104 | 104 | | firearm industry member acted with the intent to violate this subtitle. 5 |
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| 105 | 105 | | |
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| 106 | 106 | | SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 6 |
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| 107 | 107 | | October 1, 2025. 7 |
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