Since the moment Massachusetts lawmakers passed H. 4885 earlier this summer, Second Amendment advocates in the state have been warning their fellow gun owners and the general public about the inherent problems in the latest gun control law. From unfunded mandates to impossible-to-meet deadlines for new training requirements, along with a host of infringements on the right to keep and bear arms, the law (now officially known as Chapter 35, but unofficially billed as “The Devil’s Snare” by the Gun Owners Action League) is fundamentally and deeply flawed. 

Rep. Michael Day, who was the primary architect of the new law, has dismissed those concerns. In fact, he accused GOAL and other 2A activists of spreading misinformation about the defects in his legislation. But if the bill was as flawless as he claims, then why did the legislature suddenly (and quietly) suspend the new training requirements from taking effect next month? 

In yet another secret maneuver, the legislature hid an amendment in a budget bill. The bill was signed into law on September 16, 2024. Section 51 of the bill (Chapter 206 of the Acts of 2024). It essentially suspends all new training requirements for those seeking a firearms license as well as training for law enforcement and retailers. (see below)

“This amendment to the new law is very telling of how Chapter 135 was never properly vetted by the public, the legislature and the state agencies tasked with enforcing this new law,” said Jim Wallace Executive Director of GOAL. “Not too long-ago Chairman Day arrogantly stood in front of a press conference and bragged about how this law could meet any constitutional challenge. If that was true, then why the delays?”

The good news is that the new training requirements have been suspended for those seeking a License to Carry, at least until the Massachusetts State Police develops the new curriculum. But Wallace says that despite suspending training for law enforcement and retailers on the other changes to statute contained within Chapter 35, many of those mandates are still scheduled to go into effect on October 23rd. 

For instance, the training for retailers on how to comply is suspended but the actual legal mandates are not. New rosters, retailer inspections, inventory registration, etc.

Just as concerning is the suspension of law enforcement training on the new laws. It is unconscionable that the state would suspend the training for retailers and law enforcement while still intending to enforce Chapter 135 in its entirety!

Massachusetts Democrats may have quietly tried to patch up one of their mistakes, but their temporary fix doesn’t go far enough. On the retail side, FFLs will still soon be confronted with the fact that most, if not all, of their inventory of long guns will be forbidden for sale once the law takes effect. Until Chapter 35, the state defined “firearm” as a handgun or pistol only. Now, a “firearm” includes pistols, rifles, and shotguns. That makes sense, but since the state also requires that every “firearm” offered for sale in the state undergo independent testing and be certified for sale by the Massachusetts State Police, it means that the vast majority of long guns that have previously been available for sale will soon be prohibited until they’re added to the state’s firearm roster. 

It’s possible that the legislature will suspend that requirement at some point before October 23rd as well, but there’s no guarantee of that happening. We’ll be talking more about the latest machinations from Massachusetts lawmakers with Jim Wallace on today’s Bearing Arms’ Cam & Co, and I’m sure Jim will have a lot to say about the October surprises that are still in store for gun owners, gun sellers, and those charged with enforcing the dozens of provisions enshrined in The Devil’s Snare.