STATE DECLARES THERE IS NO "LIVE FIRE" MANDATE UNTIL ONE IS PUT IN PLACE???
At the recent meeting, April 2, 2026, of the Firearm Control Advisory Board (FCAB) GOAL’s Executive Director Jim Wallace brought up a host of problems with the implementation of the Chapter 135 training requirements. Among the issues he addressed was the lack of any guidance on the “live fire” mandate. In a surprising revelation, the state’s attorney at the meeting declared that there was no live fire mandate in place until the Commonwealth developed a curriculum. WAIT – WHAT?
Chapter 135 created, among other training mandates, a live fire component that was supposed to be implemented on August 2, 2024. On September 16, 2024 the legislature stuck an amendment into a spending bill (https://www.goal.org/training-requirements-suspended) that postponed the new requirements for 18 months after Chapter 135 took effect. With the new postponed date upon us, no live fire curriculum has been established.
According to the information provided by the state at the FCAB meeting, they have determined that the deadline of April 2, 2026 for new course mandates does not apply to the live fire component. The attorney for the state explained that it would not be enforced until that particular training component has been established. He further went on to say they are being deliberate and taking their time on it since it is a very complex matter that was exemplified by the feedback during the hearings.
This is the first time GOAL has heard any of this. The bigger problem now is going to affect all of the instructors who are scrambling to figure this out. It will be further problematic because the local licensing authorities believe the live fire mandate is now enforceable.
GOAL will continue to work with the State Police as best we can to unravel this Devil’s Snare and apprise our supporters as we move forward.
Training Requirements: https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter140/Section131P