BOSTON (WHDH) - The head of Boston Health and Human Services pitched a bill Tuesday at the State House that would require all medical providers to undergo training to ask patients about firearm ownership and storage.
Health and Human Services Chief Marty Martinez told lawmakers that questioning patients about their guns would save lives, promote better safety practices, and “identify red flags,” the State House News Service reported.
If passed, the bill would call on public health officials to develop regulations to add screening questions about guns into routine care, in addition to allowing medical providers to recommend safety counseling.
The proposal drew criticism from gun rights activists but supporters say the conversations with patients will be “non-judgmental” and similar to substance use and mental health discussions.
“Our priority is to encourage further conversations about gun safety, identify red flags for suicide and domestic violence and child access to guns,” Martinez told the Joint Committee on Public Health.
The bill also calls for the creation of guidelines for safety counseling for individuals that screen positive for the presence of firearms in their homes.
“We know that gun safety is a public health issue. As such, doctors are uniquely positioned to help prevent gun-related injury and death,” Martinez added.
The legislation did not outline specifics for how the new screening program would work.
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