The Hill - link provided by George Jefferson with the following narrow-minded observation: "How exactly would this bill ENSURE victims of gun crimes would be fairly
compensated as quoted in the article...Is it likely that all criminals
will carry such insurance on their already illegal guns?"
House Democrat Rep. Carolyn Maloney (N.Y.) has introduced a bill that would require gun owners to carry liability insurance.
The
Firearm Risk Protection Act, unveiled Friday, would require gun buyers
to have liability insurance coverage before being allowed to purchase a
weapon, and would impose a fine of $10,000 if an owner is found not to
have it. Service members and law enforcement officers, however, would be
exempt from the requirement.
“We require insurance to own a car, but no such requirement exists for
guns," Maloney said in a statement. "The results are clear: car
fatalities have declined by 25 percent in the last decade, but gun
fatalities continue to rise.”
Maloney said
auto insurance carriers incentivize drivers to take precautions to
reduce accidents, but no such incentives exist for firearm owners.
“An
insurance requirement would allow the free market to encourage cautious
behavior and help save lives,” she said. “Adequate liability coverage
would also ensure that the victims of gun violence are fairly
compensated when crimes or accidents occur."