Public hearing on new Massachusetts gun bill to be held Tuesday

BOSTON (WWLP) – Massachusetts residents will have a chance to speak their opinion on an updated gun bill this Tuesday during a public hearing.

The public hearing will be held Tuesday at 11:00 a.m. in person at the State House and virtually on the state’s website. Those interested in testifying must register before noon on Monday. If you didn’t make that deadline, you can still submit a written testimony by emailing it to AnActmodernizingfirearmlaws@mahouse.gov. Emails must be submitted before 5:00 p.m. on Friday, October 13th.

The hearing with the House Committee on Ways and Means will be chaired by Representative Michael Day, who is the sponsor of the bill HD.4607, “An Act Modernizing Firearm Laws.” A vote on this bill by the House will likely occur later this month.

The new bill is an update to the former bill and has been called a “significantly different” bill than the original. The new bill was filed Wednesday night, following the shooting in Holyoke where an infant died.

This updated bill aims to target ghost guns by enforcing the serialization of firearm parts, redefining the “assault weapon” term to “assault-style firearm” which adds more banned types of firearms, limiting the presence of a firearm in certain public areas and will also add steps for those seeking a license to carry by requiring live firearm training.