Sponsors (22)
The bill favors domestic production and shields manufacturers to strengthen infrastructure resilience and encourage domestic supply, but it shifts financial and safety risks onto consumers, insurers, and local governments by limiting liability and may raise procurement costs and harm small suppliers.
State and local governments, utilities, and communities gain more resilient critical infrastructure because prioritizing domestic production is intended to improve supply-chain reliability, reduce outages, and speed recovery during disruptions.
Manufacturers of grid and utility equipment face lower legal exposure and liability costs, which should encourage continued domestic supply, lower product prices, and support faster deployment and maintenance of critical systems.
Homeowners and local governments retain a narrow accountability backstop because victims can still sue manufacturers in cases of willful misconduct.
Homeowners, businesses, insurers, and utility ratepayers may be unable to recover damages from equipment manufacturers except in rare willful-misconduct cases, shifting financial losses onto victims, insurers, and ratepayers.
Rural communities and homeowners could face greater safety risks because weaker liability incentives may reduce manufacturers' motivation to design and supply safer equipment, potentially increasing wildfire risk from defective products.
Taxpayers, utility customers, and consumers could face higher costs because prioritizing domestic manufacture over lower-cost imports may raise procurement costs and utility rates or taxes.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Creates statutory immunity for manufacturers of critical infrastructure equipment from most wildfire-related claims, unless the plaintiff proves willful misconduct in design or production.
Introduced June 26, 2025 by Mariannette Miller-Meeks · Last progress June 26, 2025
Provides broad liability immunity to manufacturers of critical infrastructure equipment for claims tied to wildfire losses, unless a plaintiff proves the manufacturer engaged in willful misconduct in the equipment's design or manufacture. It defines "critical infrastructure" and "manufacturer" by citing existing federal statutory definitions.