Speaker of the House Robert DeLeo today unveiled sweeping legislation he said will give the Bay State the “most effective” gun laws in the country in a long-awaited roll-out spurred by the horrific Newtown school shootings 18 months ago.

The bill, called the state’s most comprehensive since 1998 by House leaders, adds the state to a nationwide criminal background database and, for the first time, allows local police chiefs discretion in licensing owners for shotguns and rifles. The legislation also bans the private sale of guns without a licensed gun dealer and requires gun owners to list all the guns they own each time they renew their license.

“I knew that Massachusetts would take a different path than other states,” said DeLeo, who chided other states for legislation that was “hastily proposed” in the aftermath of the massacre at Newtown’s Sandy Hook elementary school in December 2012. “What is in this legislation is very, very reasonable.”

Asked if the bill gives Massachusetts the country’s toughest gun laws, DeLeo said, “The only thing I’m looking for is to show we’re the most effective state in terms of gun laws in the country.”

The bill also addresses complaints about a lag time in license renewals by allowing a gun owner to keep his or her receipt as proof of registration until a new license is issued. Many complained that delays at the state level caused their license to lapse without a renewal, even if they applied on time.

The legislation is largely based on recommendations from a gun violence task force formed by DeLeo and chaired by Jack McDevitt, an associate dean at Northeastern University.

Jim Wallace, executive director of the Gun Owners Action League, said while there are aspects of the bill he supports — including steps to address mental health needs around gun safety — he said, “overall, I have to say I’m disappointed.”

“I was really hoping for a bill we could support from the get-go,” said Wallace, who plans to push for amendments before the legislation goes to House lawmakers for a vote.

State Rep. Hank Naughton, the House chair of the Joint Committee on Public Safety, said the committee will hold a hearing on the bill next week, with the hopes of bringing it to the House floor in the weeks afterward.

DeLeo said he hopes to get the bill passed through both branches and onto the governor’s desk before the legislative session ends on July 31.