Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act

Bill: 114-hr-4399
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Schiff, Adam B. [D-CA-28]
Introduced: 2016-02-01
Policy area: Law
Subjects: Administrative remedies

Civil actions and liability

Criminal justice information and records

Evidence and witnesses

Firearms and explosives

Manufacturing

Product safety and quality
Latest action: action_date: 2016-02-29
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.

Summaries:
action_date: 2016-02-01
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p><b>Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act</b></p> <p>This bill amends the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act to repeal provisions that prohibit state or federal civil actions or administrative proceedings from being brought against firearm or ammunition manufacturers, sellers, importers, dealers, or trade associations for criminal or unlawful misuse of a firearm by the person bringing the action or a third party. </p> <p>The bill lifts the immunity from legal process of the Firearms Trace System database maintained by the National Trace Center of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. In state or federal civil actions or administrative proceedings, the contents of the database: (1) shall be subject to discovery and admissible as evidence; and (2) may be used, relied on, or disclosed in any manner. Testimony or other evidence may also be permitted based on that data. </p>

tv_txt: I 114th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 4399 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES February 1, 2016 Mr. Schiff (for himself, Mr. Van Hollen , Mr. Conyers , Ms. Slaughter , Mr. Cicilline , Mr. Serrano , Ms. Norton , Ms. Bonamici , Mrs. Napolitano , Ms. McCollum , Ms. Esty , Mr. Hastings , Mr. Himes , Mr. Beyer , Mr. Blumenauer , Ms. Judy Chu of California , Mr. Cohen , Mr. DeSaulnier , Mr. Deutch , Ms. Duckworth , Ms. Edwards , Ms. Frankel of Florida , Ms. Kelly of Illinois , Mrs. Lawrence , Mr. Ted Lieu of California , Mr. Lowenthal , Ms. Michelle Lujan Grisham of New Mexico , Mr. Sean Patrick Maloney of New York , Ms. Matsui , Ms. Moore , Mr. Nadler , Mr. Quigley , Mr. Swalwell of California , Mr. Takano , Ms. Tsongas , and Ms. Wasserman Schultz ) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To repeal the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, and provide for the discoverability and admissibility of gun trace information in civil proceedings.

1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Equal Access to Justice for Victims of Gun Violence Act . 2. Repeal of certain provisions of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act Sections 2 through 4 of the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act ( 15 U.S.C. 7901–7903 ) are repealed. 3. Discoverability and admissibility of gun trace information in civil proceedings The contents of the Firearms Trace System database maintained by the National Trace Center of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives shall not be immune from legal process, shall be subject to subpoena or other discovery, shall be admissible as evidence, and may be used, relied on, or disclosed in any manner, and testimony or other evidence may be permitted based on the data, on the same basis as other information, in a civil action in any State (including the District of Columbia) or Federal court or in an administrative proceeding.