H 8075Insurance

Insurance - Liability Insurance

Firearm owners must maintain $1 million in liability insurance or face revocation of their gun ownership rights.

Held for study

Population
Affected

Introduced Feb 27, 2026Committee House Judiciary

Plain-English Summary

This legislation requires all firearm owners in Rhode Island to purchase and maintain liability insurance with a minimum coverage of $1,000,000. This insurance is intended to cover damages resulting from negligent acts involving the firearm. Owners must carry proof of this insurance with their weapons and present it to law enforcement upon request. If a firearm is lost or stolen, the owner remains liable until the theft is reported to police. Failure to maintain insurance results in the immediate revocation of the firearm registration or license. Active duty military and law enforcement are exempt.

For younger readers

This new rule says that anyone who owns a gun must buy a special kind of insurance. This insurance is a promise that a company will pay money if the gun is used by accident and hurts someone or breaks something. If a gun owner does not buy this insurance, they are not allowed to keep their gun anymore. They must keep a paper showing they have this insurance with the gun at all times. Police officers and soldiers do not have to follow this rule.

Who & Where It Applies

Impacted groups

Firearm ownersInsurance companiesLaw enforcement agenciesDepartment of Business RegulationVictims of accidental shootings

Impacted communities

All

Constitutional & Fiscal Check

There is a high probability this bill is unconstitutional. Under the Supreme Court's *Bruen* standard, restrictions must align with the nation's historical tradition of firearm regulation. Mandating liability insurance to exercise a Constitutional right is legally precarious and functions similarly to a poll tax. It imposes a financial prerequisite on the Second Amendment, likely violating the Equal Protection Clause and the Second Amendment by effectively barring low-income citizens from ownership.

Estimated cost

Amount unknown

Estimated revenue

None

Bill Analysis

Both viewpoints

For Progressives

Ensures that victims of gun violence or accidental shootings have a guaranteed pathway to financial compensation for their injuries and suffering.
Incentivizes safer gun storage and handling practices, as insurance companies would likely require safety measures (like gun safes) to lower premiums.
shifts the financial burden of gun-related negligence from the public healthcare system and social safety nets back to the firearm owners.
Create a significant financial barrier to firearm ownership, disproportionately disarming low-income individuals and marginalized communities who cannot afford the premiums.
Increases interactions between citizens and police by mandating the presentation of insurance papers, potentially leading to profiling and pretextual searches of minority groups.
Funnel money into large insurance corporations, mandating a private product purchase to exercise a civil right.

For Conservatives

Promotes the concept of personal responsibility by ensuring individuals are financially accountable for their own property and negligence.
Creates a new market opportunity for insurance companies to offer products without direct government price controls.
Protects the special status of active duty military and law enforcement by exempting them from these civilian requirements.
Infringes upon the Second Amendment by placing a financial condition (a "poll tax") on the right to keep and bear arms, effectively banning ownership for those who cannot pay.
Empowers the government to confiscate property and revoke rights based on administrative paperwork rather than criminal behavior.
Creates a de facto registry of gun owners through insurance records, which could be used by the government for future confiscation efforts.

Votes

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Full Bill Text

Changes to existing Rhode Island law · 18 additions

SECTION 1. Chapter 27-7 of the General Laws entitled "Liability Insurance" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section: 27-7-8. Firearm ownership.

(a) Any individual who owns a firearm shall obtain and continuously maintain a policy of liability insurance in an amount not less than one million dollars ($1,000,000) specifically covering any damages resulting from any negligent acts involving the use of such firearm while it is owned by such person. Failure to maintain such insurance shall result in the immediate revocation of such owner's registration, license and any other privilege to own such firearm.

(b) For purposes of this section, a person shall be deemed to be the owner of a firearm if such firearm is lost or stolen until such loss or theft is reported to the police department or sheriff which has jurisdiction in the county, town or city in which such owner resides.

(c) Any person who owns a firearm on the effective date of this section shall obtain the insurance required by this section within thirty (30) days of such effective date.

(d) Evidence of insurance shall be kept where firearms are stored or when transported.

(e) Proof of liability insurance shall be shown to law enforcement during a lawful encounter.

(f) This requirement shall not apply to active duty law enforcement or active duty military personnel.

(g) The department of business regulation is hereby authorized to promulgate rules and regulations necessary to carry out the provisions of this section.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect upon passage.