Licensed firearm businesses would get broad lawsuit protection for temporary storage

Federally licensed firearm businesses would receive broad protection from civil lawsuits over covered storage or return of firearms. The protection would cover federally licensed firearm businesses operating in Missouri, including claims involving injury or death resulting from an agreed return. The owner must request temporary storage of a lawfully possessed firearm under a private agreement. Covered storage must occur on the business's licensed premises, and covered returns must follow the agreement.

Licensed businesses would have to return firearms without unreasonable delay or extra penalties or fees. The requirement would cover firearms held under these voluntary storage agreements. The parties could expressly agree to different return terms. The owner must legally be allowed to possess the firearm when it is returned. This return provision would preserve owners' rights to seek their property back or seek relief when a business wrongfully keeps it. The return requirement would apply when the storage agreement ends.

Owners' decisions to store and reclaim firearms as agreed would receive protection against certain assumptions and uses in court. These protections would cover owners who voluntarily store lawfully owned firearms and reclaim them under the agreement. These choices could not burden their lawful property rights. Voluntary storage and reclaiming a lawfully owned firearm would not create a presumption of fault, imply that the owner was unfit to possess it, or require longer storage. The agreement, the decision to enter it, or the timing of an agreed return could not alone establish careless conduct or shared fault in a civil lawsuit against the owner.

Cities and counties would be barred from adding rules or terms to firearm storage agreements. The limits would cover Missouri cities and counties, including a city that is not within a county. Local governments could not create a right to bring a civil lawsuit involving the parties to an agreement. Local rules could not impose extra obligations on licensed businesses to accept firearms for temporary storage.

Licensed businesses would have to destroy storage agreements and related identifying records so they could not be reconstructed. The requirement would cover federally licensed businesses holding firearms under these agreements. Records that federal law requires the business to keep would be exempt. Destruction would cover agreements, lists of agreements, and related identifying information in every form, including digital records. The deadline would be no later than 90 days after both the agreement's termination and the firearm's return to its owner.