SENATE DOCKET, NO. 725        FILED ON: 1/18/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 973

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

James E. Timilty

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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 enhancing courthouse security.

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PETITION OF:

SENATE DOCKET, NO. 725        FILED ON: 1/18/2017

SENATE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 973

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE SENATE, NO. 940 OF 2015-2016.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

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An Act enhancing courthouse security.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

Section 10 of chapter 269 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2014 Official Edition, is hereby amended by adding the following subsection after subsection (o) :-

(p) Whoever, not being a law enforcement officer in the performance of his official duties, and notwithstanding any license obtained by him under the provisions of chapter one hundred and forty, carries on his person a firearm as hereinafter defined, loaded or unloaded, in a courthouse without written authorization of the trial court administrator and trial court chief justice shall be punished by a fine of not more than one thousand dollars or by imprisonment for not more than one year or both.  For the purpose of this paragraph, “firearm” shall mean any pistol, revolver, rifle, or smoothbore arm from which a shot, bullet, or pellet can be discharged by whatever means.

Whoever, not being a law enforcement officer in the performance of his official duties, and notwithstanding any license obtained by him under the provisions of chapter one hundred and forty, carries on his person a firearm as hereinafter defined, loaded or unloaded, in a courthouse with the intent to use said firearm during the commission of a crime shall be punished  by imprisonment in the state prison  nor more than five years or for not more than two and a half years in a jail or house of correction or by a fine of not more than five thousand dollars or by both imprisonment. For the purpose of this paragraph, “firearm” shall mean any pistol, revolver, rifle, or smoothbore arm from which a shot, bullet, or pellet can be discharged by whatever means.

Notice of the provisions of subsections (p) shall be posted conspicuously at each public entrance to each courthouse.