SB231: SB231 Firearms; activities relating to such that occur at a sport shooting range; negligent acts of a third party involving the use of a weapon, firearm; limit liability of a weapons, firearms, or ammunition manufacturer, trade assoc.

Georgia law already limits local governments from regulating guns, gun shows, and dealers. This bill amends that law (O.C.G.A. § 16-11-173) to add new liability protections for the firearms industry. It says weapons, firearms, or ammunition manufacturers, trade associations, shooting range owners or operators, and dealers cannot be held liable as a third party when someone else commits an unlawful, intentional, or negligent act involving a weapon, firearm, or ammunition, or for activities that happen at a sport shooting range. The bill also says that only the State of Georgia, not counties, cities, or other local governmental units, can sue these firearms industry parties for damages, cleanup costs, or court orders related to how weapons and ammunition are lawfully designed, made, marketed, or sold, or related to shooting range activity. Local governments could still sue a manufacturer or dealer over a broken contract or warranty on guns or ammunition they purchased. The bill repeals conflicting laws and does not state a separate effective date.

• Bars weapons, firearms, or ammunition manufacturers, trade associations, shooting range owners or operators, and dealers from being held liable for another person's unlawful, intentional, or negligent acts involving a weapon, firearm, or ammunition.
• Extends that same liability protection to activities that occur at a sport shooting range.
• Reserves to the State of Georgia alone the right to sue these firearms industry parties on behalf of any state agency or local government for damages, cleanup, or injunctions tied to lawful design, manufacture, marketing, or sale of weapons or ammunition.
• Keeps intact an exception letting a local government sue a manufacturer or dealer for breach of contract or warranty over weapons or ammunition it purchased.
• Repeals any existing state or local laws that conflict with these new rules.

The bill affects firearms, weapons, and ammunition manufacturers, trade associations representing them, owners and operators of sport shooting ranges, and firearms dealers, as well as state agencies, counties, municipalities, school districts, and other local governmental bodies that might otherwise sue them.

If enacted, local governments and school districts in Georgia would lose the ability to sue gun makers, ranges, trade groups, or dealers over harm linked to lawful sales or range activity, leaving only the state with that power, which could limit how local communities respond to gun-related harm through the courts.

• Section 1 amends subsection (b) of O.C.G.A. § 16-11-173 to add a new liability shield covering manufacturers, trade associations, shooting range owners or operators, and dealers.
• The shield applies to third-party unlawful, intentional, or negligent acts involving weapons, firearms, or ammunition, and to activities occurring at a sport shooting range.
• The right to sue these industry parties over lawful design, manufacture, marketing, or sale, or over shooting range activities, is reserved exclusively to the state, removing that authority from counties, cities, school districts, and other local bodies.
• An exception preserves a local government's ability to sue for breach of contract or express warranty tied to weapons or ammunition it purchased.
• Section 2 repeals all laws and parts of laws that conflict with the Act.

1. 2025-02-21Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
2. 2025-02-20Senate Hopper (Senate)

• Jason Anavitarte (R, SD-031)Primary sponsor
• Steve Gooch (R, SD-051)
• Timothy Bearden (R, SD-030)
• Randy Robertson (R, SD-029)
• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)
• Sam Watson (R, SD-011)
• Carden Summers (R, SD-013)
• Drew Echols (R, SD-049)
• Colton Moore (R, SD-053)
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)

• gun laws
• firearms industry liability
• shooting ranges
• local government lawsuits
• gun manufacturers