Bill > H2169

This bill amends Section 53A½ of Chapter 44 of the General Laws to require local police or fire departments to obtain prior authorization from their city's mayor and city council, or a town's board of selectmen, town meeting, or other governing body, before applying to federal agencies like the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Defense, or Department of Justice to acquire or accept as gifts certain military equipment. This equipment includes a wide range of items such as aircraft (including drones), armored vehicles, weapons like bayonets, bombs, grenade launchers, and even crowd dispersal devices like ultrasonic devices, reflecting a legislative effort to ensure local municipal control over the acquisition of potentially sensitive or militarized equipment by local law enforcement and fire departments.