The National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies (NAMIC)is adding fuel to the ire of those saying that a D.C. bill forcinggun owners to purchase liability coverage for firearms will notprevent gun violence.

"[The Firearm Insurance-Amendment Act of 2013] would require gunowners to obtain liability insurance that would cover bothnegligent and willful acts involving the use of a firearm," saidErin Collins, NAMIC's state affairs manager. "While we understandthe intent of the bill may be to reduce the incidence of gunviolence and provide compensation for victims, we do not believethis bill would achieve either goal."

Under the law proposed by District of Columbia CouncilmemberMary Cheh, the state's current 2,000 registered gun owners and allfuture buyers would have to take out a $250,000 policy coveringdamage from any gun use, even willful and illegal acts.

Failure to comply with the policy would call for immediaterevocation of the gun owner's registration, license and any otherprivileges to own a firearm.

Cheh says that it will create a more careful gun culture, andprovide a source of compensation for those injured byfirearms. 

However, one of insurance's basic tenets is that it does not cover illegalacts. Typical homeowner's policies already cover unintentionaldischarge that causes injury or property damage.

NAMIC's Collins says, "Liability insurance covers negligence. Itdoes not cover criminal or intentional acts. With regard to guns,liability insurance would cover accidental events and injuries, butnot an intentional use of a weapon to inflict harm. In much thesame way that a person would not be covered by their auto insuranceif they chose to run someone down with their car, a person is notcovered by insurance if they choose to hurt someone with agun."

Seven states, including California, Connecticut, Massachusetts,and New York, have proposed similar bills, but it does not seemthat Washington, D.C. will pass Cheh's legislation, according totestimony made yesterday by the Chester A. McPherson, deputycommissioner of the state's Department of Insurance, Securities andBanking. 

"The Administration is committed to the Second Amendment rightsof our residents and protecting the safety of everyone in theDistrict. However, the Executive is not convinced that there iscurrently a persuasive argument to support the need for insurancefor firearms in the home," said McPherson.

He continued, "The Department is aware that several other stateshave offered similar bills mandating insurance coverage for firearmowners. However, to date, none of the bills have been enacted.Consequently, there is little experience- that is, there is nodata- for either carriers or regulators to analyze and evaluate theunderwriting and claims experience for this type of coverage."

The Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.) notes that gunowners can buy a $1 million umbrella policy for about $150 peryear, and the National Rifle Association (NRA) offers anaccident-insurance plan to its registered members.