H2590 (2026): Civil Liability for Owners of Lost or Stolen Firearms

What the Bill Would Do

House Bill 2590 would establish civil liability for firearm owners whose lost or stolen weapons are subsequently used to cause harm^[1]. Under the proposal, if a firearm owner fails to report a lost or stolen weapon in a timely manner, they could be held civilly liable for damages caused by that weapon. Massachusetts already requires firearm owners to report lost or stolen firearms to law enforcement within a specified period under Chapter 140, Section 129C. This bill would add a civil liability consequence to that existing reporting obligation.

The bill targets the gap between criminal penalties for failing to report and the lack of a civil remedy for victims. If a stolen firearm is used in a crime and the original owner did not report it missing, victims would have a cause of action to seek damages from the negligent owner.

Current Status

The Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security reported H2590 favorably, and it has been placed in the Orders of the Day for a second reading as of February 9, 2026^[2]. This is a significant milestone: the bill has cleared committee and is now before the full House for consideration.

What to Watch

Gun rights organizations are expected to oppose the bill on grounds that it punishes crime victims (the theft victim) rather than criminals. Proponents argue it incentivizes responsible storage and prompt reporting, complementing Chapter 135's secure storage provisions enacted in 2024. The key battleground will be the standard of liability: strict liability versus a negligence standard that considers whether the owner took reasonable precautions. Floor amendments during the second reading could substantially reshape the bill.