Bill > S1247

This bill establishes a Firearms Violence Prevention Trust Fund, funded by an additional 4.75% surcharge on the retail sale of ammunition, rifles, shotguns, firearms, or parts thereof, and also on the storage, use, or consumption of these items within the Commonwealth. The collected revenue will be used by the Secretary of the Executive Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security to support municipal violence prevention programs, with priority given to school resource officers, programs addressing youth exposure to violence, and police training for handling incidents involving individuals with mental illness. Additionally, the bill prohibits the sale, purchase, rental, lease, or possession of .50 BMG rifles and .50 BMG cartridges, defining these terms and establishing penalties for violations, though exceptions are made for law enforcement and military personnel acting within their official duties. The bill also modifies existing laws regarding firearm identification cards and licenses, making it a crime with fines and potential arrest warrants for possessing a firearm with an expired license that has been expired for over 90 days, and clarifies that individuals over 16 can be issued certain firearm licenses.