The U.S. Senate passed S.B. 397 which will halt most lawsuits filed by crime victims against gun manufacturers and dealers. See Senate Votes to Shield Gunmakers From Lawsuits, CNN.com, July29, 2005. Also see Senate Republicans Move Up Vote on Gun Lawsuits by Andrea Stone, USA Today, July 28, 2005. According to the CRS summary, the bill exempts:
"actions: (1) brought against persons who transfer a firearm knowing that it will be used to commit a crime of violence or a drug trafficking crime, by a party directly harmed by such crime; (2) brought against a seller for negligent entrustment or negligence per se; (3) in which a manufacturer or seller of a firearm knowingly violated a State or Federal statute applicable to the sale or marketing of the firearm, and the violation was a proximate cause of the harm for which relief is sought; (4) for breach of contract or warranty in connection with the purchase of the firearm; or (5) for death, physical injuries, or property damage resulting directly from a defect in design or manufacture of the firearm when used as intended or in a reasonably foreseeable manner, except that where the discharge was caused by a volitional act that constituted a criminal offense, such act shall be considered the sole proximate cause of any resulting death, personal injuries, or property damage. "