Ohio Bill Seeks to Prohibit Mandating Firearm Liability Insurance

A bill making its way through the Ohio General Assembly would prohibit requiring firearm liability insurance.

Senate Bill 58 passed the House by a 61-27 vote and now heads to the Ohio Senate, where legislators in the chamber will have until the end of the month to vote on the bill.

The bill, sponsored by Senators Terry Johnson (R-McDermott) and Theresa Gavarone (R-Huron),, seeks to remove any “further license, permission, restriction, delay, or process” that interferes with an individual’s Second Amendment rights.

“The general assembly … finds and declares that it is proper for law-abiding people to protect themselves, their families, and others from intruders and attackers without fear of prosecution or ciivl action for acting in defense of themselves or others,” the bill says.

The National Rifle Association Institute for Legislative Action (NRA-ILA) supported the legislation in a statement, saying that carrying firearm liability insurance “is an unnecessary financial burden that infringes upon a constitutionally protected right.”

Three-fourths Americans believe gun owners should be required to carry firearm liability insurance, according to a survey last year. Most insurers don’t require disclosure of gun ownership, the same survey found.