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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1898 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1568
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Daniel J. Hunt
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act to increase the safety of courthouses.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Daniel J. Hunt13th Suffolk1/18/2023 1 of 2
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1898 FILED ON: 1/18/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 1568
By Representative Hunt of Boston, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1568) of Daniel
J. Hunt for legislation to increase the safety of courthouses. The Judiciary.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 1894 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act to increase the safety of courthouses.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 10 of chapter 269 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection after subsection (o) :-
3 (p) Whoever, not being a law enforcement officer in the performance of his official
4duties, and notwithstanding any license obtained by him under the provisions of chapter one
5hundred and forty, carries on his person a firearm as hereinafter defined, loaded or unloaded, in a
6courthouse without written authorization of the trial court administrator and trial court chief
7justice shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for
8not more than one year or both. For the purpose of this paragraph, “firearm” shall mean any
9pistol, revolver, rifle, or smoothbore arm from which a shot, bullet, or pellet can be discharged
10by whatever means. 2 of 2
11 Whoever, not being a law enforcement officer in the performance of his official duties,
12and notwithstanding any license obtained by him under the provisions of chapter one hundred
13and forty, carries on his person a firearm as hereinafter defined, loaded or unloaded, in a
14courthouse with the intent to use said firearm during the commission of a crime shall be punished
15by imprisonment in the state prison nor more than five years or for not more than two and a half
16years in a jail or house of correction or by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars or by
17both imprisonment. For the purpose of this paragraph, “firearm” shall mean any pistol, revolver,
18rifle, or smoothbore arm from which a shot, bullet, or pellet can be discharged by whatever
19means.
20 Notice of the provisions of subsections (p) shall be posted conspicuously at each public
21entrance to each courthouse.