Dear Members,
My name is Mariah and I am an LGC Member, commercial beekeeper, and law student based in Boston, MA. Since the beginning of 2021, I have been reading and summarizing legislation at the state and federal levels dealing with firearms. Now, I get to pass this summarized and digestible information on to you, along with the club stance (Yes, No, or Neutral).
This week, I have four bills to discuss– 2 from California and 2 from Massachusetts.
CALIFORNIA
Assembly Bill 226- Introduced by California Assembly Member Jim Cooper- An expansion of an existing law concerning sentencing for hate crimes and violent felonies. It mentions use of firearms as part of a group of crimes that merit special consideration– specifically, “specified crimes [that] merit special consideration when imposing a sentence to display society’s condemnation for these extraordinary crimes of violence against the person.” CLUB STANCE: NEUTRAL
Assembly Bill 681- Introduced by California Assembly Member James C. Ramos- Concerns mental health and information sharing: “If a person is detained pursuant to the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, they are prohibited from owning, possessing, controlling, receiving, or purchasing, or attempting to own, possess, control, receive, or purchase, any firearm. Existing law requires each designated facility, within 24 hours of admitting an individual subject to that prohibition, to submit a report to the Department of Justice that contains specified information, including the identity of the person.” The Lanterman-Petris-Short Act deals with minors placed on 72 hour mental health holds. CLUB STANCE: NO
MASSACHUSETTS
House Bill 2439- Joint Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee- Presented by Marjorie C Decker of Cambridge, an act to control “ghost guns.” Prohibits the manufacture or assembly of a firearm without a unique symbol or serial number from the Department of Justice, also requires any manufactured guns be registered within 30 days. Punishment for violating is felony charges, at least 2 years in a state prison, a fine of at least $5,000, and forfeit of all firearms. CLUB STANCE: NO
House Bill 2522- Joint Public Safety and Homeland Security Committee-Presented by Todd Smola, 1st Hampden, An Act relative to the lawful sale of handguns. Places a long list of conditions on granting gun licenses for people wanting to sell firearms, including: Posting “IT IS UNLAWFUL TO STORE OR KEEP A FIREARM, RIFLE, SHOTGUN, OR MACHINE GUN IN ANY PLACE UNLESS THAT WEAPON IS EQUIPPED WITH A TAMPER RESISTANT SAFETY DEVICE OR IS STORED OR KEPT IN A SECURELY LOCKED CONTAINER” next to the purchase counter and also providing said warning in writing to purchasers or transferees, submitting a record of all sales, rentals, and leases forthwith at the time of such a sale, rental, or lease to the commissioner of the dept of criminal justice information services, and being prohibited from reselling firearms if they fire more than once per pull of the trigger, or explode during firing. The licensing authority shall also enter 1x/calendar year to inspect records. CLUB STANCE: NO