Kentucky legislation · 2026 Regular Session
Kentucky HB78: AN ACT relating to firearms liability protections and declaring an emergency.
Status: Chaptered, April 14, 2026
Create a new section of KRS Chapter 411 to define terms; establish liability protections for manufacturers and sellers of firearms against specified legal actions arising from criminal or unlawful use of firearms or ammunition; establish criteria for proceedings including timelines and burden of proof; establish a civil cause of action for violation of the extended protections for manufacturers and sellers and delineate available damages; provide the Attorney General with enforcement authority; provide that the Act may be cited as the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms (PLCAA) Clarification Act of 2026; EMERGENCY.
What the bill says
An act relating to firearms liability protections and declaring an emergency.
From the engrossed text:
AN ACT relating to firearms liability protections and declaring an emergency. WHEREAS, the Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act, 15 U.S.C. secs. 7901 to 7903, provides essential protections to firearms manufacturers and sellers against certain lawsuits arising from criminal or unlawful use of their products; and WHEREAS, recent litigation has demonstrated attempts to circumvent the protections afforded by the law through overly broad interpretations of the provided exceptions; and WHEREAS, it is essential to ensure that firearms manufacturers and sellers are not unfairly held liable for the criminal misuse of their lawfully sold, legal products by defining terms and identifying when a claim may proceed under the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky; NOW, THEREFORE, Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky: SECTION 1. A NEW SECTION OF KRS CHAPTER 411 IS CREATED TO READ AS FOLLOWS: (1) As used in this section: (a) "Manufacturer" means any person engaged in the business of manufacturing a qualified product, including any and all owners, directors, officers, and employees of a manufacturer; (b) "Negligent entrustment": 1. Means the supplying of a qualified product by a seller for use by another person when the seller knows, or reasonably should know, the person to whom the product is supplied is likely to, and does, use the product in a …
Sponsors
- T.J. Roberts (R, HD-066) · primary sponsor
- Wade Williams (R, HD-004)
- Josh Calloway (R, HD-010)
- Daniel Elliott (R, HD-054)
- Vanessa Grossl (R, HD-088)
- John Hodgson (R, HD-036)
- William Lawrence (R, HD-070)
- Derek Lewis (R, HD-090)
- Kimberly Moser (R, HD-064)
- Steven Rudy (R, HD-001)
- Mitch Whitaker (R, HD-094)
Latest actions
- : delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 177)
- : enrolled, signed by President of the Senate
- : enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House
- : passed 31-6
- : posted for passage for consideration of Governor's veto
- : to Rules (S)
- : received in Senate
- : passed 80-19
- : veto overridden
- : posted for consideration of Governor's veto
Votes
- Senate: OVERRIDE VETO FINAL PASSAGE HB 78 RSN# 4163 (April 14, 2026): 31 yea, 6 nay, passed
- House: Veto Override RCS# 457 (April 14, 2026): 80 yea, 19 nay, passed
- House: Final Passage RCS# 362 (March 31, 2026): 76 yea, 16 nay, passed
- Senate: PASS HB 78 w/ SCS 1 (SCS 1) RSN# 4024 (March 26, 2026): 32 yea, 6 nay, passed
- House: Pass RCS# 273 (March 17, 2026): 75 yea, 17 nay, passed
Subjects: Short Titles And Popular Names, Firearms And Weapons, Effective Dates, Emergency, Federal Laws And Regulations, Attorney General, Civil Actions, Civil Procedure
Common questions
- What is HB78?
- HB78 is a bill in the Kentucky Legislature (2026 Regular Session): AN ACT relating to firearms liability protections and declaring an emergency.
- What does HB78 do?
- In its own words: An act relating to firearms liability protections and declaring an emergency.
- What is the status of HB78?
- Chaptered as of April 14, 2026. Latest action: delivered to Secretary of State (Acts Ch. 177) (April 14, 2026).
- Who sponsored HB78?
- T.J. Roberts (R, HD-066), with 10 co-sponsors.
- Where is the official record for HB78?
- On the Kentucky Legislature website: https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26rs/hb78.html
Source: official Kentucky record. Tracked by Delilah, AI for legislation across all 50 states and Congress.