Sponsors
The bill expands victims' and governments' ability to recover fuller compensation from ghost‑gun makers and sellers, improving accountability and financial relief for harms while increasing liability exposure for industry actors, raising litigation risk for some defenders, and adding workload to courts.
Victims of shootings and their families can sue manufacturers, sellers, and other ghost‑gun actors for injuries or deaths and recover compensatory and consequential damages, increasing the likelihood of fuller financial compensation.
States and localities can sue to recover damages for public costs (law‑enforcement, medical, cleanup) arising from ghost‑gun harms, helping cover taxpayer‑funded expenses.
Law‑enforcement officers and civilians who use force in self‑defense may still face civil litigation despite affirmative defenses, creating legal uncertainty and potential defense costs for those individuals and departments.
Manufacturers, parts makers, and intermediaries face increased litigation risk and potential liability costs, which could raise prices, reduce supply, or harm small businesses in the firearms and parts market.
An increase in civil suits against ghost‑gun actors could burden federal district courts in jurisdictions with shootings, slowing case resolution and increasing workloads for the judiciary and federal staff.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Creates a federal private right to sue makers and facilitators of 'ghost gun' components for damages when such a firearm is used, with limited affirmative defenses.
Introduced January 16, 2025 by Ritchie Torres · Last progress January 16, 2025
Creates a federal private right of action allowing individuals injured by a “ghost gun,” family members of those killed, and the State or local government where the harm occurred to sue makers of ghost-gun components and persons who facilitated their sale for damages in U.S. district court. The law defines “ghost gun” as a firearm without a unique serial number required of licensed manufacturers/importers and allows courts to award compensatory and consequential damages while providing two narrow affirmative defenses for self-defense and qualified law-enforcement responses.