California is known for regularly updating its public safety laws, but Assembly Bill 1594 (AB 1594) stands out as one of the most significant in recent years.
Instead of focusing only on individuals who misuse firearms, this law shifts part of the responsibility onto the firearm industry itself.
It allows Californians to bring civil lawsuits against manufacturers and sellers when their products are marketed, distributed, or sold in ways that contribute to harm.
For decades, federal law protected gun makers from most liability, leaving communities with few legal options. AB 1594 changes that dynamic by holding companies accountable when they fail to take reasonable steps to prevent misuse of their products.
Even if you’re not following legal updates closely, AB 1594 is worth noting because it signals a broader push for industry accountability.
Firearm Industry Revolution: What Is AB 1594?
At its core, AB 1594 is California’s attempt to close the gap between public safety concerns and the protections gun makers have enjoyed for years.
Generally, federal law has prevented firearm manufacturers from facing legal consequences when their products are not used legally.
AB 1594 opens the door to legal action against companies that are not fulfilling their responsibilities in a reasonable way.
This law does not ban guns, and it does not stop anyone from buying guns; rather, this law is meant to hold manufacturers and sellers accountable for the role they play in ensuring the safety of communities.
When a company ignores salient risks or cuts corners on how they distribute their products, AB 1594 allows the people of California an avenue to challenge those actions legally.
Key Provisions of California AB 1594
AB 1594 is very specific about what counts as irresponsible practices. Here are a few highlights:
- Duty of Care: Firearm makers and sellers must take reasonable steps to prevent their products from being used unlawfully.
- Civil Liability: Victims of gun violence or local governments can sue companies if they can prove negligence.
- Accountability for Distribution: If a seller ignores warning signs—like selling large amounts of firearms to one buyer—they could face legal consequences.
- Expanded Enforcement: State and local officials can step in to ensure compliance, giving the law more bite.
California AB 1594 creates new obligations for firearm industries and businesses. It also creates accountability not only at the point of sale, but rather the entire chain of production and operation from manufacturer to community.
Who Is Affected by AB 1594?
There is a wide-reaching effect of this law. It not only affects large gun makers. It affects distributors, retailers and everyone else who is involved in the manufacture or sale of guns in California.
For example, a small store that sold guns, which was aware that they were being illegally resold, could get sued. The large companies now have to find ways to improve their tracking and then start to improve their safety standards.
This creates a ripple effect: manufacturers who want to avoid lawsuits will likely raise their safety requirements nationwide, not just in California. After all, it’s easier to apply one standard across all markets than to split operations state by state.
Legal and Industry Implications
From a legal standpoint, AB 1594 is unprecedented because it creates exceptions to federal law. The Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act protects makers of firearms from nearly every liability claim against them. However, California is challenging that shield by defining what it calls “irresponsible” practices.
The industry is now left with:
- More exposure to litigation: Lawsuits that would have been dismissed previously will be able to proceed.
- More compliance costs: More record keeping and more checking of distributions.
- Insurance and risk management changes: Manufacturers may find premiums increase as underwriters wait for new claims.
For any party involved in gun-related cases, partnering with a Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer could help clarify how this new law plays into established legal processes.
Support and Opposition in the Firearm Industry for AB 1594
As with any meaningful legal change, AB 1594 has prompted vocal support and opposition.
Supporters claim that this law gives communities a real opportunity to call out irresponsible behavior and practices of the industry.
Victims of gun violence, advocacy groups, and many municipalities view this as a way to identify irresponsible and/or negligent behavior and encourage safer practices.
Advocates and victims express that it is less about “gun control” for them and instead have been describing some level of accountability for companies to show, while making profits, some responsibility to the public in terms of safety.
Opposition says AB 1594 does too much. Gun manufacturers and some advocates of the industry simply argue that this law is misplaced because gun manufacturers should not be held responsible for crimes that they did not commit.
They fear this will inundate the courts in lawsuits, driving out small businesses and making lawful gun possession more difficult for its citizens.
This ruckus is not confined to California. Other states are watching carefully, and if courts become inundated with lawsuits under AB 1594, we’ll see similar laws emerge in other states.
At present, the tension between accountability and the Second Amendment trigger remains the main area of contention.
AB 1594 and the Big Picture
AB 1594 is widely considered part of a larger trend where states are simply standing in the gap to stem gun violence, where Congress has failed to act. California has historically been out front when it comes to progressive laws, and this could be a prototype for other states.
This could manifest itself in a few different ways:
- More states jumping on the California bandwagon: If lawsuits are deemed to be effective, more states will enact similar laws.
- Industry-wide changes: If manufacturers begin implementing stricter policies, this will not just impact California.
- Court cases that will further define the boundaries: Lawsuits will rise to higher courts, and whether it ultimately rebalances state and federal dominion over the regulation of firearms.
- Public discourse expands: The law further extends public discussions on gun rights, gun safety, and responsible gun use.
By putting the manufacturers on alert in the gun industry, AB 1594 is changing the narrative of responsibility in the firearm industry.
Why AB 1594 Matters to You
Even if you’re not directly involved in the firearm industry, AB 1594 has implications that touch everyday life. The law is designed to reduce risks by ensuring that companies can’t look the other way when their products are misused.
So what could that mean for you, your family, and your communities?
- Better safety standards among local retailers
- Increased accountability for bad actors selling firearms
- Increased transparency in how firearms are moved through the supply chain
Hopefully, for individuals themselves, especially if you are or have been charged with issues surrounding firearms. Understanding how California AB 1594 interacts with the justice system domestically matters. This is where an experienced Los Angeles criminal defense lawyer becomes important to understand how these new rules might apply.
California’s Firearm Industry Shift
AB 1594 is not just another California law. This is a direct challenge to how responsibility in the firearm industry has been understood for decades.
This legislation opens the door to lawsuits against negligent manufacturers and sellers, and changes the landscape for businesses, municipalities, and individuals.
The firearm debate has always been a complicated knot, but this law complicates it further by adding another layer of accountability at the corporate level.
While the courts will shape its future, one thing is certain — AB 1594 has moved the conversation ahead in a way that is not likely to be unwound.
References
- (2022). AB 1594 bill text
- Everytown for Gun Safety. (2022). Victory for gun safety following tireless advocacy: Governor Newsom signs AB 1594 into law.
- California Office of the Attorney General. (2022). Attorney General Bonta: Assembly Bill 1594 will increase firearm industry accountability.
- National Shooting Sports Foundation. (2022). NSSF challenges California’s law encouraging frivolous firearm industry lawsuits.
- LegiPlex. (2021). California Legislature Bill AB 1594.