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The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
With the conclusion of the 2025 legislative session, several bills are still making their way to Governor Lee’s desk for signature to make the new laws official. One such bill awaiting its final gubernatorial seal of approval aims to better protect gunmakers and sellers from frivolous or politically weaponized lawsuits.
HB0873/SB1360 shields firearms, ammunition, and other weapons manufacturers and sellers from lawsuits over the criminal misuse of their products by a third party. In essence, these providers cannot be subject to politically targeted or weaponized suits attempting to hold them responsible for those who use their products to commit crimes.
In alignment with the federal Protection of Lawful Commerce in Arms Act of 2005, current Tennessee law already stipulates these manufacturers and distributors may only be sued if it can be proved their product directly caused harm, like the sale of a defective product or knowingly selling to someone with criminal intent, but HB0873 expands on those protections in several ways, per Gun Owners of America (GOA):
– Expands legal protections to include additional industry players, including private sellers, suppressor manufacturers, and magazine producers.
– Prohibits Tennessee courts from recognizing or enforcing out-of-state or foreign court judgments that conflict with Tennessee’s pro-Second Amendment public policy. (This portion will help protect manufacturers and sellers against suits like one currently before the Supreme Court brought by Mexico attempting to blame U.S. gunmakers for the rise of cartel-related violence)
– Penalizes bad-faith litigation by imposing triple damages on out-of-state plaintiffs and their attorneys who attempt to enforce hostile judgments in Tennessee courts—an unprecedented safeguard for gun rights advocates and businesses.
Carried by Representative Monty Fritts (R-Kingston-District 32) in the House, the bill easily passed 72-20. Republican John Gillespie joined most of the House Democrats in voting against while Democrat Rep. Ronnie Glynn joined the majority vote in favor.
Senator Joey Hensley (R-Hohenwald-District 28) experienced similar success in the Senate, which passed the bill 26-6 along party lines with all Democrats predictably voting against.
Gun Owners of America celebrated the passage of the bill, posting, “Anti-gunners want to sue the firearm industry into oblivion-but not in Tennessee. No bogus lawsuits, No out -of-state-lawfare, Just freedom to operate. Thanks to GOA-backed H.B. 873, TN is now a sanctuary for gun makers.”
Ultimately, this expansion of protections for gun manufacturers like Beretta and Smith & Wesson, who now call Tennessee home, proves the state is a safe haven for lawful firearms commerce.
According to The Daily Signal, “The firearms industry in Tennessee currently provides about 13,500 jobs and contributes more than $3.6 billion to the state’s economy, according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation.” Lawmakers and Second Amendment advocates hope the legislation will encourage other manufacturers to relocate their operations to the Volunteer State, bringing continued economic growth and further support for constitutional rights.
After overwhelmingly passing both chambers of the Tennessee General Assembly, the measure simply awaits either Gov. Lee’s signature or the passage of 10 days without it to officially become law.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
