EDITORIAL: Businesses should be able to help struggling veterans without getting sued

Mar. 29—It's a measure of Louisiana's litigious culture that businesses are reluctant to help military veterans for fear of being sued.

Two years ago, Caleb Morse, a veteran and gun shop owner, agreed to store the firearms of a friend and fellow veteran struggling with a mental health crisis.

But when advocates for veterans pitched the idea to other arms dealers as a patriotic way to help those who served our country, they found many were worried about the legal exposure.

In Louisiana and other states, firearms retailers can be sued if they store a person's guns and then return the weapons, only to have the owner harm themselves or someone else.

State Rep. Tanner Magee, R-Houma, seeks to address those concerns with House Bill 260, which would limit civil liability for federally licensed firearm dealers who offer temporary storage for customers. The measure was approved by the House last week on a vote of 94-0.

The scars of war involve more than physical wounds. The suicide rate nationwide is nearly two times higher among veterans than it is for the general public.

But the mental health crises can be brief, according to Gala True, a professor who studies suicide prevention at LSU Health New Orleans. So temporary removal of weapons, in a supportive environment, can be effective.

HB260 now heads to the Senate, and veterans advocates hope it will pass and enable more gun shop owners to offer temporary storage.

"These retailers really want to be able to provide this service," True said. "This bill will remove one of the main barriers."

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