Next big thing in gun control? 7 questions about mandatory gun insurance.

As President Obama prepares to travel the country to drum up support for federal gun control laws ahead of a Senate vote in April, one idea is gaining steam at the state level: mandatory gun insurance.

6. Does anything like gun insurance currently exist?

Sara Gettys/Yakima Herald-Republic/AP
Lisa Wilkerson fires at a target created to look like a man pointing a pistol at her during a women's handgun self-defense class hosted by the Open Bible Christian Center in Yakima, Wash., in March.

Yes. The NRA offers voluntary “excess personal liability” insurance up to $250,000 primarily for hunters and shooters at private ranges. Notably, this insurance covers accidents, not intentional acts of violence. Along with the NRA, the United States Concealed Carry Association also offers gun owners self-defense insurance. If a gun owner is sued using a firearm in self-defense, self-defense insurance pays for legal expenses if the gun owner is found innocent or if charges are dismissed.

“God forbid you ever have to use your firearm in self-defense but if you do, you’re going to need help. Good, solid, legal help … you’re protected by the Self-Defense Shield,” trumpets a Concealed Carry insurance promotion, which covers up to $300,000 in civil liabilities.

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