The bill amends sections of the General Laws related to "Weapons" to enhance the requirements for the safe storage of firearms. It defines unsafe storage as a situation where a firearm is not secured in a locked container or equipped with a tamper-resistant mechanical lock or other safety device. The bill updates the definition of a "child" from under sixteen to under eighteen years of age and outlines penalties for unsafe storage, including fines and potential imprisonment for repeat offenses. It also introduces provisions for criminal storage of a firearm in the first and second degrees, with penalties for failure to securely store firearms, particularly when accessed by a child or a person prohibited from possessing firearms. The bill exempts situations involving illegal entry, unauthorized taking, or self-defense, and requires licensed retail dealers to provide a trigger lock or safety device with every firearm sold and to display informational signs about safe storage and the risks associated with firearms in the home.

Furthermore, the bill requires the Department of Health, in collaboration with the state police, to create and provide licensed dealers with free printed materials in English and Spanish to inform about the risks of firearm access, secure storage laws, relevant firearm legislation, and suicide prevention resources. Dealers must distribute this information to all firearm purchasers. The Department of Health and the Department of Education are also tasked with annually developing information for students and families about secure gun storage and behavioral health resources, to be distributed in pamphlet form and made available electronically on school district webpages. The act will take effect immediately upon passage.