The Massachusetts legislature is currently considering HD 4420.
According to The Boston Globe on Friday:
Representatives will gather in closed-door meetings next week to hold “candid discussions” about a 140-page gun reform bill that Speaker Ron Mariano wants to win House approval by the end of the month.
With the omnibus bill idling amid a House-Senate procedural dispute and national gun safety groups applying new pressure on legislative leaders, Mariano’s office scheduled a pair of private events for representatives and staff to talk about the proposal.
The bill stretches across a wide range of firearm-related issues, including where guns can be carried, the licensing process, the state’s existing ban on assault weapons, rising numbers of untraceable “ghost guns,” and training for gun owners.
Mariano told reporters on Thursday that his goal is to win House approval for the omnibus bill (HD 4420) before lawmakers take a traditional break in August. Asked about how the House plans to navigate a procedural disagreement with the Senate that has stalled the bill’s early progress, Mariano said, “I’ll look at the different options that are at my disposal” and try to pick one.
According to the National Rifle Association (NRA), here are some of the provisions in the bill:
As written, HD 4420:
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- Institutes a new, broad “Assault Weapons Ban,” including firearms already owned by law-abiding citizens.
- Bans all federally legally tax-stamped automatic firearms.
- Gun bans on possessing any gun, loaded, or unloaded at:
- All state, county, and municipal buildings.
- All polling places.
- Any private property unless the owner has provided express consent or has posted signage allowing firearms on their property.
- Mandates Safe Storage laws.
- Mandates new training requirements including costly written exams and live fire training.
- Mandates registration of all guns and feeding devices.
- Mandates reporting of any modifications or new parts to a gun.
- Mandates serializing all firearm parts.
- Bans anyone under 21 from acquiring or carrying any semi-automatic rifle or shotgun.
- Bans anyone under 15 taking part in shooting sports and training.
- Places new mandates, protocols, and training requirements on retailers.
I am not a constitutional expert in any way, but this bill seems to be a way to limit law-abiding citizens’ access to guns. The process that a person would have to go through to get permission to buy a gun would be very costly and time-consuming. Most people would not want to spend the time or the money. The bill also totally overlooks the fact that only law-abiding citizens follow laws–criminals don’t. All this law will do is make more people unable to defend themselves if they need to.