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