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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 7218
January Session, 2019
AN ACT CONCERNING TH E SAFE STORAGE OF FIREARMS IN THE
HOME AND FIREARM SAF ETY PROGRAMS IN PUBLIC S CHOOLS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 29-37i of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2019): 2
No person shall store or keep any [loaded] firearm, as defined in 3
section 53a-3, on any premises under such person's control if such 4
person knows or reasonably should know that (1) a minor is likely to 5
gain access to the firearm without the permission of the parent or 6
guardian of the minor, (2) a resident of the premises is ineligible to 7
possess a firearm under state or federal law, or (3) a resident of the 8
premises poses a risk of imminent personal injury to himself or herself 9
or to other individuals, unless such person (A) keeps the firearm in a 10
securely locked box or other container or in a [location] manner which 11
a reasonable person would believe to be secure, or (B) carries the 12
firearm on his or her person or within such close proximity thereto that 13
such person can readily retrieve and use the firearm as if such person 14
carried the firearm on his or her person. For the purposes of this 15
section, "minor" means any person under the age of [sixteen] eighteen 16
years. 17
Sec. 2. Section 52-571g of the general statutes is repealed and the 18 Substitute Bill No. 7218
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following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2019): 19
Any person whose act or omission constitutes a violation of section 20
29-37i, as amended by this act, shall be strictly liable for damages when 21
a minor or, a resident of the premises who is ineligible to possess a 22
firearm under state or federal law or who poses a risk of imminent 23
personal injury to himself or herself or to other individuals, obtains a 24
firearm, as defined in section 53a-3, and causes the injury or death of 25
such minor, resident or any other person. For the purposes of this 26
section, "minor" means any person under the age of [sixteen] eighteen 27
years. 28
Sec. 3. Section 53a-217a of the general statutes is repealed and the 29
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2019): 30
(a) A person is guilty of criminally negligent storage of a firearm 31
when such person violates the provisions of section 29-37i, as amended 32
by this act, and a minor or, a resident of the premises who is ineligible 33
to possess a firearm under state or federal law or who poses a risk of 34
imminent personal injury to himself or herself or to other individuals, 35
obtains the firearm and causes the injury or death of such minor, 36
resident or any other person. For the purposes of this section, "minor" 37
means any person under the age of [sixteen] eighteen years. 38
(b) The provisions of this section shall not apply if the minor obtains 39
the firearm as a result of an unlawful entry to any premises by any 40
person. 41
(c) Criminally negligent storage of a firearm is a class D felony. 42
Sec. 4. Section 10-18b of the general statutes is repealed and the 43
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 44
The State Board of Education, within available appropriations, [and 45
the Connecticut Police Chiefs Association may] shall develop 46
[curriculum] guides to aid local and regional boards of education in 47
developing firearm safety programs for students in grades 48 Substitute Bill No. 7218
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kindergarten to [eight] twelve, inclusive, in the public schools. The 49
State Board of Education may consult with the Connecticut Police 50
Chiefs Association when developing such guides. The State Board of 51
Education shall make such [curriculum] guides available to local and 52
regional boards of education. 53
Sec. 5. Section 10-18c of the general statutes is repealed and the 54
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective July 1, 2019): 55
(a) Any local or regional board of education may offer firearm safety 56
programs to students in grades kindergarten to [eight] twelve, 57
inclusive, in the public schools under its jurisdiction. 58
(b) No student shall be required by any local or regional board of 59
education to participate in a firearm safety program which may be 60
offered within the public schools. A written notification to the local or 61
regional board by the student's parent or legal guardian shall be 62
sufficient to exempt the student from such program in its entirety or 63
from any portion thereof so specified by the parent or legal guardian. 64
(c) If a student is exempted from a firearm safety program pursuant 65
to subsection (b) of this section, the local or regional board of 66
education shall provide, during the period of time in which the 67
student would otherwise be participating in such program, an 68
opportunity for other study or academic work. 69
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2019 29-37i
Sec. 2 October 1, 2019 52-571g
Sec. 3 October 1, 2019 53a-217a
Sec. 4 July 1, 2019 10-18b
Sec. 5 July 1, 2019 10-18c
JUD Joint Favorable Subst.