CA Democrat: Sue Gun Parts Manufacturers (Unless Texas Heartbeat Bill Overturned)

California State Sen. Robert Hertzberg (D) is pushing legislation to allow civil suits to be filed against manufacturers of precursor parts for firearms until the Texas heartbeat bill is overturned.

Such parts are contained in or associated with 80 percent firearm kits, and such kits are used by hobbyists to build firearms at home.

Hertzberg’s legislation, Senate Bill 1327, would:

Create a private right of action for any person against any person who, within this state, manufactures or causes to be manufactured, distributes, transports, or imports into the state, or causes to be distributed or transported or imported into the state, keeps for sale or offers or exposes for sale, or gives or lends any firearm lacking a serial number required by law, assault weapon, .50 BMG rifle, or firearm precursor part, subject to certain exceptions, as specified.

The text of SB 1327 further states:

“Firearm precursor part” means a component of a firearm that is necessary to build or assemble a firearm and is described in either of the following categories:

(A) An unfinished receiver, including both a single part receiver and a multiple part receiver, such as a receiver in an AR-10- or AR-15-style firearm. An unfinished receiver includes a receiver tube, a molded or shaped polymer frame or receiver, a metallic casting, a metallic forging, and a receiver flat, such as a Kalashnikov-style weapons system, Kalashnikov-style receiver channel, or a Browning-style receiver side plate.

(B) An unfinished handgun frame.

Near the end of SB 1327 the text makes clear that the bill or at least a portion of the bill shall done away with if Texas abortion law changes.

The Texan reports that Senate Bill 8, the Texas Heartbeat Act, bans abortions after cardiac activity can be detected and went into effect last September, though it contains a unique provision that allows enforcement through private lawsuits but does not permit state officials to enforce the ban.

In California, Hertzberg’s SB 1327 says, “This chapter shall become inoperative upon invalidation of Subchapter H (commencing with Section 171.201) of Chapter 171 of the Texas Health and Safety Code in its entirety by a final decision of the United States Supreme Court or Texas Supreme Court, and is repealed on January 1 of the following year.”

The NRA-ILA observed, “[SB 1327] is aimed at using the gun issue as a political football, making clear that the legislation would become inoperative should the U.S. Supreme Court overturn Texas’s recently passed abortion law or if that law is repealed by the Texas Legislature.”

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 and a Turning Point USA Ambassador. Follow him on Instagram: @awr_hawkins. Reach him at awrhawkins@breitbart.com. You can sign up to get Down Range at breitbart.com/downrange.