Jim Wallace, GOAL Executive Director
Special to TGM
In a likely response to GOAL’s federal lawsuit, the Massachusetts legislature has suspended the new training requirements in Chapter 135.
In yet another secret maneuver, the legislature hid an amendment in a budget bill. The bill was signed into law on September 16, 2024. Section 51 of the bill (Chapter 206 of the Acts of 2024). It essentially suspends all new training requirements for those seeking a firearms license as well as training for law enforcement and retailers. (see below)
“This amendment to the new law is very telling of how Chapter 135 was never properly vetted by the public, the legislature and the state agencies tasked with enforcing this new law,” said Jim Wallace Executive Director of GOAL. “Not too long-ago Chairman Day arrogantly stood in front of a press conference and bragged about how this law could meet any constitutional challenge. If that was true, then why the delays.”
While this can easily be considered a temporary victory for the 2A community, there are also some scary consequences involved.
For instance, the training for retailers on how to comply is suspended but the actual legal mandates are not. New rosters, retailer inspections, inventory registration, etc.
Just as concerning is the suspension of law enforcement training on the new laws. It is unconscionable that the state would suspend the training for retailers and law enforcement while still intending to enforce Chapter 135 in its entirety!
GOAL is already consulting with our legal team to determine how this will affect our federal court action. We will keep our members informed as more is learned.
- Training requirements for firearm licenses.
- Firearm Retailer training on:
o Uniform standards of security for business premises.
o Employee background check and training requirements.
o Information on requirements and conditions contained in the gun laws.
o Other laws the executive office, in its discretion, deems relevant.
- Law Authority training on:
o Current laws, regulations and rules relating to this chapter 135.
o Licensing responsibilities.
o Record keeping obligations.
o Firearm surrender, registration and tracing.
o Responsibilities and requirements regarding the annual inspection of licensed firearm retailers.
o Electronic database use.
Editor’s Note: According to the Boston Herald and Walla Walla Union-Bulletin, volunteer signature gatherers have “managed to secure roughly half of the signatures needed to immediately suspend the enforcement” of the commonwealth’s new gun law.
The law prohibits people under age 21 from owning semiautomatic rifles or shotguns. According to the report, activists seeking to remove the law have until Oct. 9 to gather more than 49,000 signatures. If they reach that goal, the statute is put on hold “while the repeal process plays out over the next two years.”
