January 26, 2016

**GOAL Alert** 

GOAL has learned that the MA Legislature is fast tracking the imitation gun bill, known as H.3476, "An Act Relative to Imitation Firearms".  Please call your State Representative (House) today and urge them not to support this horrible legislation.

If passed, this legislation will endanger law enforcement officers.

Pertinent info regarding why this bill must be stopped:

• This bill requires that any imitation firearm, air gun, pellet gun, or BB gun cannot be black, blue, silver or aluminum in color and must be painted with a non-removable, 1" wide orange stripe.  This will enable criminals to paint their REAL firearms in the same way, causing a potential disaster due to hesitation on the part of responding law enforcement officers.  Their job is already difficult enough, this bill will only complicate and endanger the lives of our first responders.  How will they know if the item the criminal is holding is a painted real gun, or an imitation gun?  
  
• The new definition; "substantially duplicates" is vague and confusing. 
• There is no provision in this legislation for lawful ownership of items that are currently legally possessed in MA.  
• There is a provision which would enable police to seize any currently owned item, once again our legislature is passing laws with no good reason.
  
• These items are commonly owned across the country with no issue.
• This bill would force the owners of very expensive precision target guns to paint them plus add the 1" orange stripe.  This would drastically affect the value of these expensive target guns.

Take Action!

Please call your State Representative immediately and urge them to vigorously oppose this legislation.

Find contact info for your State Representative here. 

New language of bill - (please note the state has not updated their website to with the current version)

An Act relative to imitation firearms.
 
            Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 
SECTION 1. Section 121 of chapter 140 of the General Laws is hereby amended by striking out the figure "131Q", inserted by section 19 of chapter 284 of the acts of 2014, and inserting in place thereof the following figure:- 131R.
           
SECTION 2. Said section 121 of said chapter 140 is hereby amended by striking out the definition of "Imitation firearm", as appearing in the 2012 Official Edition, and inserting in place thereof the following definition:-
            "Imitation firearm", any air rifle or hand gun, pellet gun or "B-B" gun or any device or object made of plastic, wood, metal or any other material which substantially duplicates or can reasonably be perceived to be an actual firearm, rifle, shotgun, air rifle or hand gun, pellet gun, or "B-B" gun, unless such air rifle or hand gun, pellet gun, "B-B" gun or device or object: (i) is colored other than black, blue, silver or aluminum; and (ii) is marked with a non-removable orange stripe which is at least 1 inch in width and runs the entire length of the barrel on each side and the front end of the barrel. "Imitation firearm" does not include any non-firing replica of an antique firearm, the original of which was designed, manufactured and produced prior to 1898.
           
SECTION 3. Said chapter 140 is hereby amended by inserting after section 131Q, inserted by section 70 of chapter 284 of the acts of 2014, the following section:-
            Section 131R. (a) No person shall import, manufacture, sell, hold for sale or distribute within the state any imitation firearm unless such device is imported, manufactured, sold, held for sale and distributed: (i) solely for subsequent transportation in interstate commerce; or (ii) solely for lawful use in a theatrical production, including a motion picture, television or stage production.
            (b) A violation of subsection (a) shall constitute an unfair or deceptive trade act or practice under section 2 of chapter 93A.
            (c) A law enforcement officer may confiscate any imitation firearm from a person in possession thereof unless the person is possessing the imitation firearm:(i) solely for subsequent transportation in interstate commerce; or (ii) solely for lawful use in a theatrical production, including a motion picture, television or stage production.