The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office has joined a coalition of 19 attorneys general in filing an amicus brief urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 3rd Circuit to revisit its 2025 decision in Lara v. Commissioner of the Pennsylvania State Police.
The ruling struck down a Pennsylvania law that prohibits individuals under the age of 21 from carrying concealed weapons in public during a state of emergency.
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In their brief, the coalition of state attorneys general argued that the court’s opinion could have far-reaching implications.
“If not corrected, this decision will raise constitutional questions about similar statutes in more than 30 states that restrict firearm access based on age,” the brief states.
The attorneys general contend that such age restrictions are constitutional, as they are consistent with a long-standing historical tradition. States have enacted and enforced similar laws for over 150 years as part of their authority to protect communities from gun violence.
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The Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office previously joined a coalition in September 2021 to defend the Pennsylvania law in the same case, underscoring its ongoing commitment to addressing gun violence through state-level legislative measures.
The coalition filing the amicus brief includes the attorneys general of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Washington.
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