House Bill 878

AN ACT TO CREATE THE "MISSISSIPPI HOUSTON/HUNTER ACT" TO REGULATE FIREARM HOLD AGREEMENTS; TO PROVIDE IMMUNITY FOR SUCH HOLD IF THE HOLD IS OTHERWISE LAWFUL; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI:

SECTION 1. (1) This act shall be known as and may be cited as "The Mississippi Houston/Hunter Act".

(2) For the purposes of this act, the following terms have the following meanings:

(a) "Federal Firearms Licensee" means any person who is licensed pursuant to 18 USC Chapter 44.

(b) "Firearm" has the same meaning as provided in 18 USC Section 921.

(c) "Firearm Hold Agreement" means a private transaction between a federal firearm licensee and an individual firearm owner where the licensee agrees to: (i) take physical possession of the owner's lawfully possessed firearm at the owner's request; (ii) hold the firearm for an agreed period of time; and (iii) return the firearm to the owner.

(3) (a) Except as otherwise provided in paragraph (b) of this subsection, no person shall have a private cause of action against a federal firearm licensee operating lawfully in this state for returning a firearm to the firearm owner at the termination of a firearm hold agreement.

(b) The immunity from civil liability provided in paragraph (a) shall not apply to any action arising from a firearm hold agreement if that action is the result of unlawful conduct on the part of the federal firearm licensee.

SECTION 2. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after July 1, 2026.