The bill amends the Revised Judicature Act of 1961 by modifying sections 2922b and 2922c to enhance legal protections for individuals who use or threaten to use deadly force or force other than deadly force in self-defense or in defense of another. It establishes that such individuals are immune from civil liability for damages, including personal injury or death, resulting from their actions, provided they comply with the self-defense act. Additionally, the bill introduces a presumption of immunity if certain conditions are met, such as a grand jury declining to indict the individual or a court discharging the individual after a preliminary examination.

Furthermore, the bill mandates that courts award actual attorney fees, court costs, lost income, and other expenses to individuals who are sued for civil damages related to their use or threatened use of force, as long as the court determines that the individual acted in compliance with the self-defense act and is immune from civil liability. The amendments will take effect on September 1, 2025, and will apply only to causes of action that accrue on or after that date.

Statutes affected:
House Introduced Bill: 600.2922