A newly proposed bill in Hawaii would require gun owners to have insurance for their firearms and renew their gun registrations every five years. The legislation introduced Wednesday by Democrat state Sen. Josh Green could force gun owners to purchase firearms liability insurance from private insurance companies—making Hawaii the first state in the country to enact such a requirement, if passed.
According to insurance experts and Bill Richter, secretary of the Hawaii Rifle Association, homeowners and renters insurance already covers accidents involving someone’s firearms, even if gun incidents happen outside their home. Additionally, intentional criminal activity with a firearm would not be covered by liability insurance of any kind. “Any time you mandate something on a core constitutional, fundamental right, it has the effect of chilling that right and the exercise thereof, so we really don’t think it’s a good idea,” Richter told Hawaii News Now.
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