SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — Some Democratic California lawmakers want to make it easier for people to sue gun-makers and dealers for liability in shootings that cause injuries or deaths.

Federal law prevents most such lawsuits. An exception is when gun-makers break state or local laws regarding the sale or marketing of guns.

The bill in the California Legislature, announced Tuesday, seeks to declare those violations a public nuisance, thus allowing some liability lawsuits.

The bill is modeled after a law New York passed last year. Gun advocates have sued to block New York's law. They say it and California's bill are illegal attempts to bankrupt firearms businesses.