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28	28	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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30	30	1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
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32	32	HOUSE BILL 2215 By: West (Kevin)
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38	38	AS INTRODUCED
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40	40	An Act relating to tort liability for firearm
41	41	lawsuits; providing definitions; prohibiting certain
42	42	lawsuits against firearm, firearm accessory, or
43	43	ammunition manufacturers, distributors, dealers,
44	44	importers, exporters, trade associations and their
45	45	owners, shareholder, directors and employe es;
46	46	providing that if a defendant files a motion
47	47	asserting that a plaintiff has filed a prohibited
48	48	lawsuit the court shall stay all proceedings and
49	49	shall dismiss the civil action with prejudice in
50	50	regard to all prohibited causes of action and claims ;
51	51	providing that an order denying a motion may be
52	52	appealed; providing for awarding of attorney fees;
53	53	providing exemptions; providing that in any civil
54	54	action or proceeding not barred by t his section all
55	55	claims for relief contained in the complaint must be
56	56	plead with specificity ; repealing 76 O.S. 2021,
57	57	Sections 52.1 and 52.2, which relate to firearm
58	58	liability limitation; providing for codification; and
59	59	providing an effective date.
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64	64	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
65	65	SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
66	66	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 55 of Title 76, unless there is
67	67	created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
68	68	A. As used in this section:
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95	95	1. "Ammunition" means a projectile or cartridge case, primer,
96	96	bullet, or propellant powder designed for use in a firearm ;
97	97	2. "Dealer" means
98	98	a. any person engaged in the business of selling
99	99	firearms, firearm accessories or a mmunition at
100	100	wholesale or retail,
101	101	b. any person engaged in the business of gunsmithing
102	102	including repairing firearms or of making or fitting
103	103	special barrels, stocks, or trig ger mechanisms to
104	104	firearms, or
105	105	c. any person who is a pawnbroker licensed by the f ederal
106	106	government to sell firearms. A "dealer" is not a
107	107	manufacturer, importer, exporter, or trade
108	108	association;
109	109	3. "Exporter" means a person engaged in foreign commerce of
110	110	firearms, firearm accessories, or ammunition f or purposes of sale or
111	111	distribution outside the United States ;
112	112	4. "Firearm" means a weapon that acts by force of gunpowder ;
113	113	5. "Firearm accessory" means a device designed or adapted to
114	114	enable the wearing or carrying about one's person, or the storage or
115	115	mounting in or on a conveyance, of a firearm or an attachment or
116	116	device designed or adapted to be inserted into or affixed onto a
117	117	firearm to enable, alter, or improve the functioning or capabilities
118	118	of a firearm;
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145	145	6. "Importer" means any person engaged in the business of
146	146	importing or bringin g firearms, firearm accessories or ammunition
147	147	into the United States for purposes of sale or distribution within
148	148	the United States;
149	149	7. "Manufacturer" means a person who is e ngaged in the business
150	150	of manufacturing and licensed as a manufacturer under chapt er 44 of
151	151	title 18 of the United States Code or who manufactures firearm
152	152	accessories or components of ammunition ;
153	153	8. "Person" means any individual, corporation, business trus t,
154	154	estate, trust, partnership, limited liability company, association,
155	155	governmental entity or body politic or other organization ; and
156	156	9. "Trade association" means a corporation, unincorporated
157	157	association, federation, b usiness league, or professional or
158	158	business organization not organized or operated for profit that
159	159	meets all of the following criteria:
160	160	a. no part of its net earnings inures to the benefit of
161	161	any private shareholder or individual ;
162	162	b. it is an organization described in 26 USC 501 (c)(6)
163	163	and exempt from tax under section 26 USC 501 (a) ;
164	164	c. two or more of its members are man ufacturers,
165	165	distributors, dealers, importers or exporters of
166	166	firearms, firearm accessories or ammunition.
167	167	B. A person may not bring, file, or maintain any civil action
168	168	or proceeding against a firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition
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195	195	manufacturer, distrib utor, dealer, importer, exporter, or trade
196	196	association, or the owners, shareholders, directors, and em ployees
197	197	of any such entity, for any of the following:
198	198	1. Recovery of damages, punitive damages, restitution, fines,
199	199	penalties, injunctive or declaratory relief or other remedy relating
200	200	to the design, manufacture, distribution, advertising, marketing, or
201	201	sale of a firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition ;
202	202	2. Recovery of damages, punitive damages, restitution, fines,
203	203	penalties, injunctive or declaratory re lief or other remedy
204	204	resulting from the criminal or unlawful use of a firearm, firearm
205	205	accessory, or ammunition by a third party; and
206	206	3. Recovery of damages, punitive damag es, restitution, fines,
207	207	penalties, injunctive or declaratory relief or other remedy based on
208	208	any legal theory that the marketing or advertising of a firearm,
209	209	firearm accessories or ammunition wa s the cause of any personal
210	210	injury, death, or property damage or caused or contributed to the
211	211	creation or maintaining of a public nuisance.
212	212	C. 1. If a defendant files a motion asserting that a plaintiff
213	213	has filed a civil action or special proceeding prohibited u nder this
214	214	section, the court shall stay all proceeding s including discovery
215	215	and decide the motion based on the pleadings. If the court
216	216	determines the plaintiff has filed a civil action or proceeding
217	217	asserting any cause of action or claim prohibited under this
218	218	section, then such finding shall constitute conclu sive evidence that
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245	245	the civil action or special proceeding is prohibited by law and the
246	246	court shall immediately dismiss the civil action or proceeding or
247	247	dismiss with prejudice all prohib ited causes of action and claims
248	248	set forth in the complaint. An order denying such motion, in whole
249	249	or in part, may be appealed.
250	250	2. If a civil action or proceeding, or any cause(s) of action
251	251	or claim(s), is dismissed pursuant to this provision, the cou rt
252	252	shall award to the defendant their costs and reasonable attorney
253	253	fees incurred in defending against the civil action or proceeding or
254	254	any dismissed cause(s) of action or claim(s). In cases that were
255	255	pending on the date of enactment of this Section, the court shall
256	256	only award attorney fees as of the date the defendant notifi es the
257	257	plaintiff in writing that this Section has gone into effect and
258	258	requests that the plaintiff voluntarily dismiss the civil action or
259	259	special proceeding, or all prohibited cause(s) of action or
260	260	claim(s).
261	261	D. 1. Nothing in this section prohibits a per son from filing,
262	262	bringing, or maintaining a civil action or special proceeding
263	263	against a firearm, firearm accessory, or ammunition manufacturer,
264	264	distributor, dealer, importer, exporter, or trade association for
265	265	any of the following:
266	266	a. breach of contract or warranty concerning firearms,
267	267	firearm accessories, or ammunition purchased by a
268	268	person,
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295	295	b. death, physical injuri es, or property damage resulting
296	296	directly from a defect in design or manufacture of the
297	297	product when the product is used as designed and
298	298	intended or in a reasonably foreseeable manner, except
299	299	that where the discharge of the firearm or ammunition
300	300	was caused by a volitional act that constituted an
301	301	unlawful or criminal offense, regardless of whether
302	302	the person discharging the firearm or ammunition was
303	303	criminally charged, prosecuted or convicted or is
304	304	charged as a juvenile, then such volitional act shall
305	305	be considered the sole proximate cause of any
306	306	resulting death, personal injuries, or property
307	307	damage,
308	308	c. death or physical injuries resulting direc tly from the
309	309	sale of a firearm, f irearm accessory or ammunition in
310	310	violation of a federal or state law or regulation
311	311	specifically and exclusively regulating the sale of
312	312	firearms, firearm accessories or ammunition , or
313	313	d. a civil action or special proceeding against a dealer
314	314	for death or physical injuries resulting directly from
315	315	the negligent entrustment by the dealer of a firearm
316	316	or ammunition for use by another person when the
317	317	dealer knows, or reasonably should know, the person to
318	318	whom the firearm or ammuni tion is supplied is likely
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345	345	to, and does in fact, use the product in a manner
346	346	involving unreasonable risk of physical injury to
347	347	others.
348	348	2. In any civil action or proceeding not barred by this
349	349	section all claims for relief contained in the complaint must b e
350	350	plead with specificity.
351	351	SECTION 2. REPEALER 76 O.S. 2021, Sections 52.1 and
352	352	52.2, is hereby repealed.
353	353	SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023.
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355	355	59-1-6557 JL 01/11/23

Oklahoma 2023 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB2215 Compare Versions