Bill Text (PDF)

WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) re-introduced the Making America Safe and Secure (MASS) Act, legislation to incentivize states to adopt gun-licensing standards similar to those proven effective in Massachusetts. Massachusetts has comprehensive gun licensing laws and the lowest gun death rate in the nation. The bill is co-led in the Senate by Senators Edward J. Markey (D-MA) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA).

“Gun violence is a public health crisis impacting families in the Massachusetts 7^th and across the country, and we need proven, effective, and comprehensive solutions to confront it head-on,” said Congresswoman Pressley. “Massachusetts is national leader in gun violence prevention and our bill would help save lives by promoting the Commonwealth’s gun laws as a model for states to adopt nationwide. We must move with urgency to end gun violence in America and stop the cycle of trauma and bloodshed.”

“Gun violence does not need to be a common tragedy in our day-to-day lives. Massachusetts has the lowest rate of gun violence per capita in the country- and some of the most comprehensive gun licensing laws in the nation. The MASS Act will incentivize states to adopt Massachusetts’ smart, effective, and life-saving gun laws,” said Senator Markey. “I’m proud to partner with Congresswoman Pressley on this important legislation so that no community has to suffer the senseless tragedy of gun violence because of the NRA’s stronghold on commonsense federal gun policies.”

Since 1994, the Commonwealth has reduced gun deaths by 40 percent. Among the most effective of Massachusetts laws are the provisions governing licensed gun dealers. Any person who sells ammunition or sells, rents, or leases a certain number of firearms in a calendar year must obtain a state dealer license. The state is required to establish standards for “prohibited individuals,” those ineligible to obtain a firearms license or firearms dealer license. Gun dealers and private sellers must record all firearms sales, leases, and rentals, and share this information with law enforcement. These dealers and sellers must also verify the validity of a firearms license before a transaction and notify law enforcement when presented with an invalid or expired license.

A copy of the MASS Act can be found here.

Congresswoman Pressley is a long-time champion for gun violence prevention and supporting those experiencing trauma. She currently serves as a member of the House Gun Violence Prevention Task Force and she helped pass  H.R. 8, the Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2019, and H.R. 1112, the Enhanced Background Checks Act – two long-overdue, bipartisan gun violence prevention bills.

Throughout her career, Congresswoman Pressley has been a strong advocate for trauma-conscious policymaking.  In February 2023, she celebrated the passage of her Post-Disaster Mental Health Response Act, bicameral legislation to expand mental health support for survivors of natural disasters and terrorist attacks that are designated emergency declarations by FEMA. It was signed into law by President Biden in December 2022.

• In November 2023, Rep. Pressley and Senator Markey unveiled a resolution to honor survivors of homicide victims nationwide by establishing November 20- December 20^th as National Survivors of Homicide Victims Awareness Month.
• In June 2022, Rep. Pressley applauded the House’s passage of gun violence prevention legislation, the Protect Our Kids Act and the Federal Extreme Risk Protection Order Act. In a House Oversight and Committee meeting, Congresswoman Pressley called for meaningful policy action to combat the uniquely American gun violence epidemic and rejected suggestions by Republican lawmakers that arming teachers and funding more school police is the answer to ending mass shootings. 
• In June 2021, Rep. Pressley reintroduced the STRONG Support for Children Act, her landmark legislation that takes a holistic and community-based approach to addressing the growing crisis of childhood trauma. 
• In March 2021, Rep. Pressley sent a letter to President Biden calling on him to address the nation’s growing trauma crisis and laying out a series of steps the administration should take to confront the far-reaching hurt plaguing our communities and our nation.  In April, she published an op-ed where she reflected on the collective pain experienced by communities in her district over the past year. 
• In July 2019, Rep. Pressley worked with Chairman Cummings to convene the first-ever Congressional hearings on childhood trauma.  Watch Congresswoman Pressley’s full question line and follow-up questions here and here. 
• As a Boston City Councilor, she convened the Council’s first-ever listening-only session to hear directly from those impacted by the trauma of community gun violence.

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