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| 2 | 2 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1304 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 3 | 3 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 397 |
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| 4 | 4 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 5 | 5 | | _________________ |
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| 6 | 6 | | PRESENTED BY: |
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| 7 | 7 | | Jason M. Lewis |
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| 8 | 8 | | _________________ |
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| 9 | 9 | | To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General |
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| 10 | 10 | | Court assembled: |
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| 11 | 11 | | The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill: |
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| 12 | 12 | | An Act to promote safe firearm storage education and increase the well-being of students. |
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| 13 | 13 | | _______________ |
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| 14 | 14 | | PETITION OF: |
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| 15 | 15 | | NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Jason M. LewisFifth Middlesex 1 of 2 |
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| 16 | 16 | | SENATE DOCKET, NO. 1304 FILED ON: 1/16/2025 |
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| 17 | 17 | | SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 397 |
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| 18 | 18 | | By Mr. Lewis, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 397) of Jason M. Lewis for |
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| 19 | 19 | | legislation to promote safe firearm storage education and increase the well-being of students. |
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| 20 | 20 | | Education. |
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| 21 | 21 | | [SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION |
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| 22 | 22 | | SEE SENATE, NO. 305 OF 2023-2024.] |
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| 23 | 23 | | The Commonwealth of Massachusetts |
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| 24 | 24 | | _______________ |
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| 25 | 25 | | In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court |
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| 26 | 26 | | (2025-2026) |
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| 27 | 27 | | _______________ |
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| 28 | 28 | | An Act to promote safe firearm storage education and increase the well-being of students. |
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| 29 | 29 | | Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority |
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| 30 | 30 | | of the same, as follows: |
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| 31 | 31 | | 1 Chapter 71 of the General Laws is hereby amended by adding the following section:- |
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| 32 | 32 | | 2 Section 99. (a) The department shall develop model content for the safe storage of |
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| 33 | 33 | | 3firearms in consultation with the executive office of public safety and security for school districts |
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| 34 | 34 | | 4in order for the districts to disseminate a notice to their school communities, including families, |
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| 35 | 35 | | 5guardians and staff. |
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| 36 | 36 | | 6 (b) The model content for the safe storage of firearms shall include information for the |
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| 37 | 37 | | 7school community regarding: (i) the life-saving importance of secure gun storage in homes and |
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| 38 | 38 | | 8vehicles to protect unsupervised, unauthorized children and teens from accessing firearms with |
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| 39 | 39 | | 9which they may cause harm; (ii) the risks of unsecured firearms to children and teens, schools, 2 of 2 |
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| 40 | 40 | | 10and the wider community; (iii) actions everyone in the school community can take to keep our |
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| 41 | 41 | | 11communities safe including raising awareness about secure firearm storage requirements, the |
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| 42 | 42 | | 12safe storage of firearms pursuant to section 131L of chapter 140 , suicide prevention resources as |
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| 43 | 43 | | 13well as other behavioral health or educational resources. |
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| 44 | 44 | | 14 (c) The model content developed by the department shall be published in English and |
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| 45 | 45 | | 15multiple languages that are representative of the needs of local communities as determined by the |
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| 46 | 46 | | 16department. The department shall review the model content annually. |
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| 47 | 47 | | 17 (d) The office of the superintendent and the school committee of each school district shall |
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| 48 | 48 | | 18collaborate and annually distribute a notice developed pursuant to this section to the school |
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| 49 | 49 | | 19community, including parents and guardians who have students enrolled in the school district, |
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| 50 | 50 | | 20and staff, and make said information electronically accessible on the district’s webpage. |
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