Texans who cherish their Second Amendment rights have their eyes locked on the Texas Capitol, where House Bill 170, also known as Kyle’s Law, was scheduled for a critical hearing on Wednesday, March 19, 2025, at 8:00 AM in the House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee.

Filed by Representative Ryan Guillen (R-Rio Grande City), Kyle’s Law would deliver crucial legal protections for Texans forced to defend themselves with a firearm. The bill would grant civil immunity to anyone who uses justified force in self-defense and allow them to recover legal expenses if they are wrongfully targeted in a civil lawsuit.

And the stakes could not be higher.

The Shadow of Kyle Rittenhouse

While Kyle’s Law wouldn’t affect the infamous Rittenhouse case—his shooting took place in Wisconsin—its purpose is clear: to ensure that what happened to Kyle doesn’t happen to a Texas gun owner.

Even after being acquitted of all criminal charges for defending his life during the Kenosha riots, Rittenhouse is now facing financial ruin in civil court. The Left couldn’t destroy him with criminal charges, so they’re successfully trying to bankrupt him instead.

Chris McNutt, President of Texas Gun Rights, explains why this bill is essential:

“Even if you think Kyle shouldn’t have been out there with a firearm, the fact is, he had every right to be there—just like the rioters who were burning down buildings. He was acquitted because he lawfully defended his life after being attacked by a mob, hit with a skateboard, and even having a gun pointed at his head. HB 170 will ensure that Texans who find themselves in a similar nightmare won’t have to choose between saving their life or losing everything they own.”

Kyle Carruth

While Rittenhouse’s case was far more polarizing — and received a nationally televised trial — it is the nightmare Kyle Carruth lived through that led to the filing of “Kyle’s Law” in the Texas Legislature.

In November 2021, Chad Read was fatally shot during an alleged child custody dispute at the residence of Carruth. Read’s ex-wife, Christina — who was employed by Carruth at the time —  was at the residence with Carruth and other employees.

A confrontation ensued, after Carruth repeatedly asked Read to leave the premises. But, following a struggle, Carruth shot Read after he tried ripping the firearm from Carruth’s hands — presumably to use it against him.

It was later proven that there was no child at the residence during the alleged custody dispute, and there was no reason to believe that there was ever a child on the premises.

Subsequently, Read’s widow, Jennifer Read, and his mother, Jinx Read, filed wrongful death lawsuits against Carruth, seeking substantial damages.

Thanks to overwhelming video evidence, a special grand jury declined to indict Carruth on criminal charges in April of 2022 — yet the civil lawsuits continued.

Notably, a report by former Lubbock police chief Greg Stevens, was filed in September 2024 and indicated that Chad Read was trespassing during the incident and had been advised multiple times to leave the property.

By November 2024, the civil lawsuits were settled, with Carruth’s insurer agreeing to pay $20,000, divided equally among Read’s four children.

Additionally, Jennifer Read and Carruth agreed to a private settlement — a settlement that should have never had to happen.

But Carruth felt a settlement was his only way to end his legal nightmare: legal fees already cost him his life savings to the tune of $500,000, leaving him in financial ruin and forcing him to lose his businesses.

Why HB 170 Matters

Without the protection offered by HB 170, any gun owner who defends themselves with a firearm in Texas could be dragged into civil court by anti-gun radicals.

Even if they are cleared of all criminal charges, they could still be financially destroyed by endless lawsuits, forcing them to drain their savings and lose everything they own.

This creates a dangerous hesitation—a fear among Texans to carry or use their firearm in self-defense, knowing that even if they survive the confrontation, they may not survive the legal aftermath.

HB 170 eliminates that threat by ensuring that:

• Texans are granted civil immunity if using deadly force — or threatening deadly force — in justified self-defense cases where a grand jury declines to indict, if charges are dismissed, or a trial results in acquittal.
• Those wrongfully targeted can recover their legal expenses, including attorney’s fees and court costs.
• Self-defense remains a protected, unquestioned right in the Lone Star State.

The Anti-Gun Left is Ready to Fight

But the battle for Kyle’s Law will not be easy.

Anti-gun activists and lobbyists are already pressuring lawmakers to stall or kill HB 170 behind closed doors. They know that if Texas passes Kyle’s Law, it will be a major victory for the Second Amendment, protecting law-abiding gun owners from being destroyed in court for simply defending themselves.

And for them, that victory is unacceptable.

Texas Gun Rights is leading the charge to push HB 170 across the finish line, urging Texans to contact their lawmakers to demand that this common-sense, pro-Second Amendment legislation is passed without delay.

“This isn’t just about Kyle Carruth or Kyle Rittenhouse” McNutt said. “It’s about every law-abiding Texan who carries a firearm for protection. It’s about ensuring that if you’re ever forced to pull the trigger to defend your life, you don’t have to lose everything afterward. We’re drawing a line in the sand.”

A Defining Moment for Texas

The outcome of this hearing could shape the future of self-defense rights in Texas. If Kyle’s Law passes, it will serve as a national example, showing that Texas will stand firm in defense of its citizens’ rights to protect themselves without fear of financial ruin.

If it fails, the message will be clear: gun owners in Texas are on their own, facing the full might of the legal system for the crime of defending themselves.

The battle has begun. Texans who value their freedom and self-defense rights must speak up before it’s too late.

Because if the anti-gun mob can destroy either Kyle, they can destroy you too.