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H1623 • 2025

An Act banning the use of tear gas by law enforcement

An Act banning the use of tear gas by law enforcement

Energy
Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor
Mike Connolly
Last action
2026-03-26
Official status
Accompanied a study order, see H5281 (under House Rule 27)
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

An Act banning the use of tear gas by law enforcement

An Act banning the use of tear gas by law enforcement By Representative Connolly of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.

What This Bill Does

  • An Act banning the use of tear gas by law enforcement By Representative Connolly of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No.
  • 1623) of Mike Connolly relative to banning the use of tear gas by law enforcement.
  • The Judiciary.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-26 House

    Accompanied a study order, see H5281 (under House Rule 27)

  2. 2025-10-20 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 09/09/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in A-2

  3. 2025-09-03 Joint

    Hearing scheduled for 09/09/2025 from 1:00PM-5:00 PM in A-2 and virtual

  4. 2025-02-27 House

    Referred to the committee on The Judiciary

  5. 2025-02-27 Senate

    Senate concurred

  6. House

    Reported by committee to Clerk’s Office for processing, will accompany a study order

Official Summary Text

An Act banning the use of tear gas by law enforcement
By Representative Connolly of Cambridge, a petition (accompanied by bill, House, No. 1623) of Mike Connolly relative to banning the use of tear gas by law enforcement. The Judiciary.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
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Bill H.1623

Chapter 6 of the General Laws is hereby amended by inserting after section 116K, as added by chapter 253 of the acts of 2020, the following section:-

SECTION 116L. (a) No law enforcement officer, law enforcement agency or department shall purchase, obtain, use or allow to be used for law enforcement purposes on any person, a chemical or substance that can produce rapidly in humans, sensory irritation or disabling physical effects within a short time of exposure. Examples of such substance include “tear gas” or “CS gas”.

(b) Whoever violates this section shall be punished by a criminal fine of $5,000.

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