This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2016, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
After about an hour of debate, substitutions and amendments, a revised version of HB298 to limit liability for firearms and ammunition makers and sellers was narrowly approved by the House Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Committee. The vote was 5-4 Monday to send it to the full House.
The bill would limit liability when it comes to those selling and manufacturing firearms and ammo as well as asserting Second Amendment rights.
Rep. Earl Tanner, R-West Jordan, one of the bill's more vocal critics, proposed changes to some language in the bill he felt went too far in shielding gun sellers and makers from liability.
He was concerned about creating an immunity law where "everybody gets off free," and pointed to a provision that seemed to limit the liability of a manufacturer when, for example, a defect in its product caused injury or death.
But bill sponsor Rep. Justin Fawson, R-North Ogden, argued that the intention of the bill is "to limit liability if a firearm is used in an unintended way or misused."
The measure would allow a civil action against a manufacturer or seller only in the event of "gross negligence, recklessness or intentional misconduct."