Page 10 THE MALDEN ADVOCATE–Friday, February 9, 2024 Sen. Lewis supports passage of gun violence prevention legislation O n February 1, 2024, Senator Jason Lewis joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate to pass, with bipartisan support, An Act to sensibly address fi rearm violence through eff ective reform – known as the SAFER Act – to increase fi rearm safety in the state and reduce gun violence without infringing on the constitutional rights of gun owners. The SAFER Act was drafted after hearing extensive public testimony and following months of discussions with stakeholders and advocates with diverse perspectives on the issue. The bill has been endorsed by gun violence prevention advocates, district attorneys and police chiefs, including the Massachusetts Chiefs of Police Association. “Massachusetts is already a national leader in combating gun violence, but there is always more we can and must do to make our communities as safe as possible for all of our residents,” said Senator Lewis. “This legislation was carefully crafted to focus on policies that will further reduce gun violence, including suicides, while respecting the rights of lawful gun owners in the Commonwealth.” On October 18, 2023, the Massachusetts Senate passed its version of the SAFER Act (120-38). Now a Conference Committee will be appointed to reconcile the diff erences between the bill versions passed by the Senate and the House. The bill includes the following provisions: • Ghost guns: Updates the state’s laws to bring Massachusetts in line with national standards and to ensure accountability and oversight for those who possess un-serialized and untraceable fi rearms. • Assault weapons: Codifies the state’s existing prohibition on assault weapons and copies or duplicates of those weapons. • Glock switches and trigger activators: Makes it illegal to possess devices that convert semiautomatic fi rearms into fully automatic machine guns. • Inspections of gun dealers: Ensures that gun dealers are inspected annually and allows the Massachusetts State Police to conduct those inspections if the local police department does not or cannot do so. • Data collection: Creates a more robust data reporting and analysis mechanism for guns used in crimes, suicides and attempted suicides to ensure that the Commonwealth can better target training and enforcement eff orts. • Gun industry accountability in advertising: Prohibits the marketing of unlawful fi rearm sales to minors and allows industry actors to be held civilly liable if such marketing practices lead to an individual being harmed. • Firing at a dwelling: Creates a criminal charge for intentionally fi ring a gun at a dwelling or other building in use. • Do-not-sell list: Creates a volSenator Jason Lewis joined his colleagues in the Massachusetts Senate to pass the SAFER Act to increase fi rearm safety in the state. (Photo courtesy of Senator Lewis’s offi ce) • Red flag law and Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPO). Allows health care professionals to petition courts to remove fi rearms and licenses from patients who pose a risk to themselves or others. The bill also allows preemptive orders to prevent a dangerous individual from obtaining a license to carry a fi rearm. • Harassment prevention orders: Protects survivors of harassment by requiring courts to compel the surrender of fi rearms by individuals who are subject to harassment protection orders who pose an immediate threat. • Sensitive places: Prohibits the carrying of fi rearms in government administrative buildings, with exceptions for law enforcement offi cers and municipalities that choose to opt out. • Mental health and gun licensing: Ensures that fi rearm licensing authorities have access to certain information about an applicant’s history of involuntary mental health hospitalizations due to posing a serious harm – with appropriate safeguards to guarantee privacy and due process. MHSAA | FROM PAGE 10 1939, Military Service); Hollis E. Durgin (MHS 1940), Community Service). **** Inducted in Hall of Fame Class of 2016: John McCarthy (MHS 1964, Business); Diane (Katz) Portnoy, MHS 1963, Education); Marc Phaneuf (MHS 1982, Arts); Brigadier General Theresa (Ciccolo) Prince (MHS 1978, Military Service); Virginia Diane (Shahbas) Yardumian (MHS 1946, Education & Community Service); Governor John Volpe (MHS 1926, Government). **** Inducted in Hall of Fame Class of 2018: Diana (DellaPiana) Cataldo (MHS 1958, Business); John Boris (MHS 1964, Community Service); Noreen Grice (MHS untary do-not-sell fi rearm database to allow individuals who worry they might be a threat to themselves or others to voluntarily exclude themselves from having the ability to purchase fi rearms. • Community violence prevention: Creates a commission to analyze the allocation of state violence prevention funding and recommend changes to reduce gun violence in disproportionately impacted communities; develops a pilot program to promote gun safety awareness and fi rearms licensing education; and establishes a task force to make recommendations for maximizing federal funding for gun violence prevention in the most equitable way. • Emerging fi rearm technology: Establishes a commission to study emerging fi rearm technology, with a particular focus on products and features that could increase safety. 1981, Science); Nicholas “Dick” Robinson (MHS 1956, Media); Edmund A. Trabucco (MHS 1934, Government); Ann Carol Grossman (MHS 1965, Arts); Joanne (Assetta) Iovino, Posthumously (MHS 1965, Education & Community Service); John Haynes Holmes (MHS 1968, Community Service). **** Inducted in Hall of Fame Class of 2022: Nancy Finklestein, Posthumously (MHS 1960, Education); Norman Greenbaum (MHS 1960, Arts); Michael Goldman (MHS 1967, Government); Ron Cox (MHS 1966, Media); Richard C. Howard (Class of 1970, Government); Sandra Vellerman (Class of 1977, Science); Phillip E. Hyde (MHS 1982, Technology); Albert R. Spadafora (Class of 1964, Business). Like us on Facebook advocate newspaper Facebook.com/ Advocate.news.ma
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