Gun safety law could have many effects at local level

The state’s new comprehensive gun violence reduction law could have implications at the local level that go beyond the creation of a number of new responsibilities for local school districts, which range from mandatory mental health plans for the school community to the requirement that they have two-way radio communication devices.

At a Sept. 9 meeting of the Local Government Advisory Commission at the State House, Elisabeth Ryan, deputy general counsel at the Executive Office of Public Safety, said that the new law could increase the number of local businesses that apply for licenses to deal firearms or sell ammunition.

Prior to the enactment of the new law, any individual wishing to purchase and carry pepper spray would have to apply for and receive a Firearms Identification (FID) card from the local police department. The new law removes the FID requirement for pepper spray, which may increase the demand for the product. Retail stores, however, will still be required to have a license to sell firearms or ammunition in order to sell pepper spray, and retailers that have not traditionally been involved in firearms dealing may seek to enter that market.

Ryan also discussed the potential for an increase in the number of legal challenges to police decisions regarding the issuance of FID cards and gun permit revocations, following changes to suitability standards established under the legislation.

For more information, visit the Executive Office of Public Safety website.