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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 503 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2308
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Marjorie C. Decker
_________________
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 making firearm owners civilly liable for damage caused by lost or stolen firearms.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Marjorie C. Decker25th Middlesex1/10/2023Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/13/2023Vanna Howard17th Middlesex1/31/2023 1 of 1
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 503 FILED ON: 1/13/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2308
By Representative Decker of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2308) of
Marjorie C. Decker, Mindy Domb and Vanna Howard relative to making firearm owners civilly
liable for damage caused by lost or stolen firearms. Public Safety and Homeland Security.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2436 OF 2021-2022.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act making firearm owners civilly liable for damage caused by lost or stolen firearms.
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 129C of chapter 140 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2020
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the third paragraph the following
3paragraph:-
4 Whoever fails to report the loss or theft of a firearm, rifle, shotgun or machine gun that is
5later used in the commission of a crime shall be civilly liable for any damages resulting from that
6crime. The liability imposed under this paragraph shall not apply if the owner reports the loss or
7theft of such firearm, rifle, shotgun or machine gun to the commissioner of the department of
8criminal justice information services and the licensing authority in the city or town where the
9owner resides within 24 hours of the owner’s knowledge of such loss or theft.