Massachusetts H 2362: An Act establishing an institute within the Department of Public Health

Bill Text

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 355 FILED ON: 1/12/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2362

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
David Paul Linsky
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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 establishing an institute within the Department of Public Health.
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PETITION OF:

NAME: DISTRICT/ADDRESS: DATE ADDED:
David Paul Linsky 5th Middlesex 1/12/2023
Jack Patrick Lewis 7th Middlesex 1/12/2023
Mindy Domb 3rd Hampshire 1/12/2023
Lindsay N. Sabadosa 1st Hampshire 1/15/2023
Kay Khan 11th Middlesex 1/25/2023
Christine P. Barber 34th Middlesex 1/25/2023
Michael J. Barrett Third Middlesex 1/31/2023
Tricia Farley-Bouvier 2nd Berkshire 2/8/2023
Carmine Lawrence Gentile 13th Middlesex 3/6/2023
Rebecca L. Rausch Norfolk, Worcester and Middlesex 7/11/2023

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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 355 FILED ON: 1/12/2023
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 2362
By Representative Linsky of Natick, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 2362) of David
Paul Linsky and others for legislation to establish a firearm violence institute within the
Department of Public Health. Public Safety and Homeland Security.

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 2490 OF 2021-2022.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Third General Court
(2023-2024)
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An Act establishing an institute within the Department of Public Health.

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

1 Chapter 140 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after Section 131 the
2 following section:-
3 Section 1317/8. The governor shall establish the Commonwealth of Massachusetts
4 firearm violence institute, herein referred to as the institute, within the department of public
5 health subject to appropriations. The purposes of the institute shall include: (1) advising the
6 governor, governmental agencies, and the legislature on matters relating to firearm violence in
7 the Commonwealth of Massachusetts; (2) fostering, pursuing, and sponsoring collaborative
8 firearm violence research; (3) increasing understanding by establishing reporting on what is
9 known and what is not known about firearm violence of the state; (4) identifying priority needs
10 for firearm violence research and inventory work within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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11 that currently are not receiving adequate attention, and identifying public or private entities that
12 are best situated to address such needs, thereby leading to better coordination of firearm violence
13 research efforts in the state; (5) promoting awareness of existing and new sources of firearm
14 violence information and firearm violence while educating the elected officials, governmental
15 agencies, and the general public on firearm violence issues through such means as it may
16 determine; (6) organizing and sponsoring meetings on firearm violence topics; (7) raising
17 sensitivity to firearm violence concerns among state and local government agencies, and serving
18 as a forum for enhanced interagency information sharing and cooperation; (8) working on a
19 continuing basis with policymakers in the legislature and state agencies to identify, implement,
20 and evaluate innovative firearm violence prevention policies and programs; (9) supplementing its
21 own research by administering a small grants program for research on firearm violence, which
22 shall be awarded on the basis of scientific merit as determined by an open, competitive peer
23 review process that assures objectivity, consistency, and high quality; and (10) providing copies
24 of their research publications to the legislature and to agencies supplying data used in the
25 conduct of such research as soon as is practicable following publication. The institute shall be
26 guided by an executive committee, which shall consist of 15 members, 1 of whom will be the
27 commissioner of the department of criminal justice information services or their designee, 1 of
28 whom will be the commissioner of the department of public health or their designee, 7 of whom
29 will be at large members appointed by the governor whereby 1 of whom shall be chairperson, 2
30 of whom will be appointed by the president of the senate, 1 of whom shall be appointed by the
31 minority leader of the senate, 2 of whom shall be appointed by the speaker of the house, and 1 of
32 whom shall be appointed by the minority leader of the house. Appointed members shall serve for
33 a term of 3 years, provided that such members may be reappointed. The institute shall have a

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34 director who shall be appointed by the executive committee and shall after appointment be an
35 employee