Massachusetts voters will decide in November whether to keep or repeal a sweeping 2024 firearms law that has become a major focus of the state’s Second Amendment debate.

Question 9 will ask Massachusetts voters on Nov. 3 whether to keep Chapter 135, the state's 2024 firearms law, putting a wide range of gun regulations directly before voters in a statewide referendum. The Secretary of the Commonwealth lists Question 9 as a referendum on an existing law, with the measure having passed the House 124-33 and Senate 35-5 in July 2024.

The law, signed by Democratic Gov. Maura Healey, expanded Massachusetts' firearms regulations in several areas. Among other provisions, it created additional restrictions involving untraceable firearms, requires serial numbers on firearms and certain unfinished frames and receivers, and expands the circumstances under which school administrators and licensed health care providers can ask courts to issue extreme risk protection orders requiring the surrender of firearms and licenses.

Chapter 135 also changed the state's regulations concerning assault-style firearms and established additional licensing and registration requirements. The law took effect in October 2024 after Healey signed an emergency preamble, meaning the referendum did not suspend the law while opponents collected signatures to place it before voters.

Opponents of the law, including gun-rights organizations, argue that the legislation places excessive restrictions on law-abiding gun owners and have organized the referendum campaign around repealing Chapter 135. Supporters of the law argue that its expanded regulations are necessary for public safety.

The referendum campaign has also drawn attention from Republican candidates and Second Amendment organizations. Republican gubernatorial candidate Mike Kennealy has backed efforts to repeal the law, while gun-rights groups have organized volunteers and donors around the campaign.

The unusual structure of Question 9 will be important for voters to understand. Because it is a referendum on an existing law, a yes vote keeps Chapter 135 in effect, while a no vote repeals it. The question is the ninth and final statewide question on the November ballot.

The referendum is already drawing national attention from gun-rights advocates because Massachusetts has some of the country's most extensive firearm regulations. The outcome will determine whether the 2024 law remains in place or is repealed, while separate legal challenges involving Massachusetts' firearms restrictions continue in the courts.