SECTION 1.  Section 70A of Chapter 221 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2016 Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting at the end thereof the following sentence:-

“Pursuant to said police powers, court officers may carry within the premises of the court or in the immediate vicinity thereof such weapons as the chief justice of the trial court, the chief justice of the supreme judicial court or the chief justice of the appeals court shall determine necessary. Provided, however, that, prior to being permitted to carry a firearm within a courthouse, a court officer shall have a license to carry pursuant to Section 131 of Chapter 140 or Section 131F of Chapter 140, and shall have completed a firearm training course approved by the chief justice of the trial court, the chief justice of the supreme judicial court, or the chief justice of the appeals court.”

SECTION 2. Section 70A of Chapter 221, as so appearing, is hereby further amended by striking, in lines 3-4, the words “the areas of the court to which they have been assigned;” and inserting in place thereof the following words:-

“the premises of the court or in the immediate vicinity thereof”