SB 527

Under current law, a person who owns or operates an area designed and

operated for the use and discharge of firearms (sport shooting range) is immune from

civil liability relating to noise and is not subject to an action for nuisance or to zoning

conditions related to noise. Current law also provides that if a sport shooting range

lawfully existed on July 16, 2013, it may continue to operate as a sport shooting range

at that location even if certain zoning ordinances or laws regulating the discharge

of firearms would otherwise prohibit the operation of the sport shooting range.

Under this bill, a sport shooting range is not subject to any state or local zoning

conditions or rules related to noise or to nonconforming use. The bill expands those

zoning laws that do not apply to sport shooting ranges to include zoning laws related

to shorelands on navigable waters. The bill also provides the owner or operator of

a sports shooting range, and their agents, contractors, customers, lenders, and

insurers immunity from civil liability in any action by the state or its political

subdivisions or by a special purpose district related to the use, release, placement,

or accumulation of any projectiles on or under the sport shooting range or other

contiguous real property that the owner or operator has the legal right to use.

The bill provides immunity from civil action to the owner, operator, officer, or

board member of a sport shooting range, and to any employee or volunteer acting on

behalf of the owner or operator, for any negligent action of a user of the sport shooting

range and to any person who provides a firearms training course in good faith at a

sports shooting range if the course is approved by a national or state organization.