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 within 24 hours of learning of the loss or theft (reported to both the DCJIS commissioner and the local licensing authority), they could be held civilly liable for damages caused by that weapon if it is later used in a crime. Massachusetts already requires owners to report a lost or stolen firearm within 7 days via the electronic firearms registration system under Chapter 140, Section 121B(c) (before the 2024 Chapter 135 overhaul this duty sat in Section 129C, which is where H2590 would insert its civil-liability provision). 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. As filed, the bill adopts a failure-to-report standard with a 24-hour safe harbor rather than strict liability or negligence, though floor amendments could reshape that standard. Floor amendments during the second reading could substantially reshape the bill.