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Read. Follow. Verify.Mississippi Houston/Hunter Act grants civil immunity to licensed firearms dealers for returning held weapons
Last action · February 3, 2026: 02/03 (H) Died In CommitteeSponsor: Dana McLean
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 878 creates the Mississippi Houston/Hunter Act, which shields licensed firearm dealers from private civil lawsuits when they return a lawfully held firearm to its owner under a private hold agreement, effective July 1, 2026.
Licensed gun dealers gain statutory protection from civil liability when returning firearms to owners following voluntary hold agreements, provided the dealer engaged in no unlawful conduct during the transaction.
- Federal Firearms Licensees are commercial entities or individuals licensed by the federal government to manufacture, sell, or transfer firearms. context
- House Bill 878 was introduced during the 2026 Regular Session of the Mississippi Legislature and ultimately died in committee. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Federal Firearms Licensees
Federal firearm licensees receive civil immunity from private lawsuits when returning lawfully held firearms to their owners, unless the licensee engages in unlawful conduct.
Individual firearm owners
Individual firearm owners can enter into private hold agreements with licensed dealers to store their lawfully possessed firearms for an agreed period.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a firearm hold agreement under this bill?
Are federal firearm licensees completely protected from all lawsuits regarding held firearms?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died in committee.
Procedural history
2 actions- Feb 3, 2026House02/03 (H) Died In Committee
- Jan 16, 2026HouseCommittee01/16 (H) Referred To Judiciary A
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
Connected Entities
Sources
billstatus.ls.state.ms.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 35)
- Controversy50Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz15Current news / social attention level
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