Massachusetts House and Senate Pass Joint Omnibus Gun Safety Bill; Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action Volunteers Respond

BOSTON – Today, the Massachusetts chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, both part of Everytown for Gun Safety’s grassroots network, issued the following statement applauding House and Senate lawmakers for passing an omnibus gun safety bill. H4885 will expand and bolster the gun safety laws in Massachusetts, further strengthening public safety in the Commonwealth. It will now go to Governor Maura Healey’s desk and she is expected to sign it into law.  

“The passage of this comprehensive and innovative gun violence prevention bill represents a major victory for the gun safety movement in Massachusetts and is another critical step towards keeping the Commonwealth’s rate of gun deaths at the lowest in the country,” said Anne Thalheimer, an Everytown Survivor Fellow and volunteer with the Massachusetts chapter of Moms Demand Action. “Massachusetts is proof that strong gun safety laws save lives, and we’re incredibly grateful to our gunsense lawmakers for coming together this year to make them even stronger. We look forward to seeing Governor Healey sign this into law once it hits her desk to ensure that our communities are further protected from gun violence.” 

“Massachusetts is setting an example for the rest of the country. We’re showing that even with existing gun safety laws, there’s always more action we can take to save lives,” said Grace Field, a volunteer leader with the Boston University Students Demand Action chapter. “Gun violence is the leading cause of death for my generation, so there’s nothing more urgent to us than addressing this uniquely-American crisis. We thank Massachusetts lawmakers for their commitment to our safety and look forward to building on this progress.” 

H4885, which now heads to Governor Healey’s desk has several lifesaving provisions including: 

• Raising the age to own a semi-automatic rifle or shotgun to 21; 
• Expanding the definitions for modifications and parts that convert a semi-automatic firearm into an automatic firearm and banning them in the Commonwealth; 
• Prohibiting unserialized, untraceable “ghost guns”, which are often assembled from readily available components or using 3-D printing technology that can be acquired without a background check; 
• Prohibiting the carrying of all firearms in government buildings, polling places, and schools; 
• Updating the definition of assault-style weapons to expand the number of firearms that are prohibited under the existing ban; 
• Strengthening the existing “Red Flag Law” to enable school administrators, and licensed healthcare providers to petition the court for an Extreme Risk Protection Order in addition to family members and law enforcement; 
• Requiring standardized safety training, including a live fire component, for all firearm license applicants;
• Requiring firearms dealers to undergo training about their responsibilities, including security and employee hiring practices; 
• Establishing a commission to study the funding structure for violence prevention services and; 
• Establishing a commission to study the status, feasibility and utility of emerging firearm technology, such as smart guns and microstamping.

Massachusetts is a national leader in gun violence prevention with the 5th strongest gun safety laws in the country, and is one of the only states to bar gun purchases by people with outstanding warrants and to require secure storage for any firearm not in the owner’s immediate control. Due in part to their holistic approach to addressing gun violence through both gun safety laws and investment in community violence intervention programs, the Commonwealth has the lowest rate of gun deaths in the U.S. and one of the lowest rates of gun ownership in the country. 

In an average year in Massachusetts, 257 people die by guns and 648 people are wounded. Gun violence costs Massachusetts $3.5 billion each year, of which $85.4 million is paid by taxpayers. More information on gun violence in Massachusetts is available here.