Massachusetts 2023-2024 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H2362 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 355 FILED ON: 1/12/2023
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2362
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	David Paul Linsky
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
12	12	An Act establishing an institute within the Department of Public Health.
13	13	_______________
14	14	PETITION OF:
15	15	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:David Paul Linsky5th Middlesex1/12/2023Jack Patrick Lewis7th Middlesex1/12/2023Mindy Domb3rd Hampshire1/12/2023Lindsay N. Sabadosa1st Hampshire1/15/2023Kay Khan11th Middlesex1/25/2023Christine P. Barber34th Middlesex1/25/2023Michael J. BarrettThird Middlesex1/31/2023Tricia Farley-Bouvier2nd Berkshire2/8/2023Carmine Lawrence Gentile13th Middlesex3/6/2023 1 of 3
16	16	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 355 FILED ON: 1/12/2023
17	17	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2362
18	18	By Representative Linsky of Natick, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2362) of David
19	19	Paul Linsky and others for legislation to establish a firearm violence institute within the
20	20	Department of Public Health. Public Safety and Homeland Security.
21	21	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
22	22	SEE HOUSE, NO. 2490 OF 2021-2022.]
23	23	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
24	24	_______________
25	25	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
26	26	(2023-2024)
27	27	_______________
28	28	An Act establishing an institute within the Department of Public Health.
29	29	Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
30	30	of the same, as follows:
31	31	1 Chapter 140 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after Section 131 the
32	32	2following section:-
33	33	3 Section 1317/8. The governor shall establish the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
34	34	4firearm violence institute, herein referred to as the institute, within the department of public
35	35	5health subject to appropriations. The purposes of the institute shall include: (1) advising the
36	36	6governor, governmental agencies, and the legislature on matters relating to firearm violence in
37	37	7the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; (2) fostering, pursuing, and sponsoring collaborative
38	38	8firearm violence research; (3) increasing understanding by establishing reporting on what is
39	39	9known and what is not known about firearm violence of the state; (4) identifying priority needs
40	40	10for firearm violence research and inventory work within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts 2 of 3
41	41	11that currently are not receiving adequate attention, and identifying public or private entities that
42	42	12are best situated to address such needs, thereby leading to better coordination of firearm violence
43	43	13research efforts in the state; (5) promoting awareness of existing and new sources of firearm
44	44	14violence information and firearm violence while educating the elected officials, governmental
45	45	15agencies, and the general public on firearm violence issues through such means as it may
46	46	16determine; (6) organizing and sponsoring meetings on firearm violence topics; (7) raising
47	47	17sensitivity to firearm violence concerns among state and local government agencies, and serving
48	48	18as a forum for enhanced interagency information sharing and cooperation; (8) working on a
49	49	19continuing basis with policymakers in the legislature and state agencies to identify, implement,
50	50	20and evaluate innovative firearm violence prevention policies and programs; (9) supplementing its
51	51	21own research by administering a small grants program for research on firearm violence, which
52	52	22shall be awarded on the basis of scientific merit as determined by an open, competitive peer
53	53	23review process that assures objectivity, consistency, and high quality; and (10) providing copies
54	54	24of their research publications to the legislature and to agencies supplying data used in the
55	55	25conduct of such research as soon as is practicable following publication. The institute shall be
56	56	26guided by an executive committee, which shall consist of 15 members, 1 of whom will be the
57	57	27commissioner of the department of criminal justice information services or their designee, 1 of
58	58	28whom will be the commissioner of the department of public health or their designee, 7 of whom
59	59	29will be at large members appointed by the governor whereby 1 of whom shall be chairperson, 2
60	60	30of whom will be appointed by the president of the senate, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the
61	61	31minority leader of the senate, 2 of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house, and 1 of
62	62	32whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of the house. Appointed members shall serve for
63	63	33a term of 3 years, provided that such members may be reappointed. The institute shall have a 3 of 3
64	64	34director who shall be appointed by the executive committee and shall after appointment be an
65	65	35employee of the department of public health. The institute director shall serve at the pleasure of
66	66	36the executive committee and serve as the chief administrative officer of the institute and provide
67	67	37the necessary support for the executive committee. The executive committee shall: (1) adopt
68	68	38policies, procedures, and criteria governing the programs and operations of the institute; (2)
69	69	39recommend to the governor and legislature appropriate actions to deal with firearm violence
70	70	40within the state; (3) develop and implement the research, education, and information transfer
71	71	41programs of the institute; (4) identify and rate proposals for firearm violence research; and (5)
72	72	42meet publicly at least twice a year, giving at least 2 weeks notice prior to each meeting. The
73	73	43institute shall foster, pursue, and sponsor basic, translational, and transformative research, field
74	74	44studies, and all other such activities to research: (1) the nature of firearm violence, including
75	75	45individual and societal determinants of risk for involvement in firearm violence, whether as a
76	76	46victim or a perpetrator; (2) the individual, community, and societal consequences of firearm
77	77	47violence; (3) the prevention and treatment of firearm violence at the individual, community, and
78	78	48societal levels; and (4) the effectiveness of existing laws and policies intended to reduce firearm
79	79	49violence, including the criminal misuse of firearms, and efforts to promote responsible
80	80	50ownership and use of firearms. The institute shall foster the collection, transfer, and application
81	81	51of firearm violence information in the state by fostering access, compatibility, interchange, and
82	82	52synthesis of data about firearm violence maintained by public entities, academic and research
83	83	53institutions, and private organizations. The institute shall prepare and submit a report every year
84	84	54to the governor and the legislature describing programs undertaken or sponsored by the institute,
85	85	55the status of knowledge regarding the state’s firearm violence, and research needs related thereto.