If owners of automobiles are required to have insurance, then why shouldn’t gun owners be mandated to carry liability coverage? That’s the argument many lawmakers around the country are putting forth to support new legislation in state capitols.

In at least six states (California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Pennsylvania), legislators have proposed bills that would require gun owners to buy liability insurance.

Supporters say the new requirement would provide financial incentive for gun owners to handle their firearms safely (those deemed less of a risk would presumably pay lower premiums).

David P. Linsky, a Democratic state representative in Massachusetts who favors insurance for gun owners, told The New York Times: “I believe that if we get the private sector and insurance companies involved in gun safety, we can help prevent a number of gun tragedies every year….Insurance companies are very good at evaluating risk factors and setting their premiums appropriately.”

Among groups representing gun owners, some, including the National Rifle Association, favor insurance on a voluntary basis.

For instance, the United States Concealed Carry Association sells to its members a “Self-Defense Shield” that will help gun owners pay for legal representation if they are forced to use a firearm in self-defense. But most Second Amendment organizations reject the call for mandatory insurance coverage for gun owners.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Buying a Gun? States Consider Insurance Rule (by Michael Cooper and Mary Williams Walsh, New York Times)

Lawmakers Propose Liability Insurance For U.S. Gun Owners (by Ian Simpson, Reuters)