Iowa Senate Weighs State-Level Protections Shielding Gunmakers from Frivolous Lawsuits

The Iowa Senate is weighing legislation that would put in place state-level protections to shield gunmakers from frivolous lawsuits.

The legislation, Senate File 514, is sponsored by State Sen. Jason Schultz (R) and is expected to be taken up on Monday.

KIWA Radio reports that Schultz sees the protections as a way to stop “back door gun control” at a time when the Biden administration desires to remove lawsuit protections at the federal level.

Biden campaigned on repealing the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act (PLCAA), a 2005 law that protects gun manufacturers from frivolous lawsuits over guns legally made and legally sold.

On February 24, 2020, Biden criticized the PLCAA during a South Carolina campaign speech. He referenced gunmakers and said, “I’m going to take you down.”

Breitbart News spoke to Schultz Thursday about the push for state-level protections in Iowa.

Schultz said, “Senate File 514 and its companion, House File 621, are state versions of the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act. While protecting recognized consumer product liability standards, the bills ban frivolous lawsuits against manufacturers, distributors, or retailers of arms or ammunition when their properly designed and sold products are used in an illegal manner by a third party.”

Schultz added, “No longer should frivolous lawsuits be used in a back door gun control attempt to bankrupt responsible firearms industry businesses and subvert our Second Amendment rights.”

AWR Hawkins is an award-winning Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and the writer/curator of Down Range with AWR Hawkins, a weekly newsletter focused on all things Second Amendment, also for Breitbart News. He is the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. Sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.