Researcher: RP Page 1 3/28/22
OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 5307
AN ACT CONCERNING THE ROLE OF MUNICIPAL CHIEF
EXECUTIVE OFFICERS IN FIREARM PERMITTING, TAKING OF
FINGERPRINTS FOR CERTAIN OUT -OF-STATE FIREARM PERMIT
APPLICANTS AND SUBMISSION OF PHOTOGRAPHS
ACCOMPANYING FIREARM PERMIT RENEWALS.
SUMMARY
In municipalities that do not have a police chief, current law
authorizes the first selectman or borough warden to perform various
firearms permitting and administrative functions. This bill instead
authorizes the municipality’s chief executive officer (CEO) to perform
these functions or designate the resident state trooper, or a state police
officer from the troop with jurisdiction over the municipality, to do so.
By law, a nonresident with a valid out-of-state gun permit may apply
directly to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection
(DESPP) commissioner for a Connecticut handgun permit. The bill
extends to the DESPP commissioner, for purposes of processing these
permit applications, the same fingerprinting and positive identification
procedures required under existing law for local officials processing
temporary state handgun permit applications.
Lastly, the bill (1) requires that the photograph handgun permit
holders must submit with their permit renewal applications be a full-
face photo and (2) eliminates the requirement that it be notarized or date
stamped.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2022
FIREARMS PERMITTING BY LOCAL O FFICIALS
The bill authorizes the CEO of any municipality (i.e., town, city,
consolidated town and city, borough, or consolidated town and
borough) without a police chief to perform the functions described 2022HB-05307-R000130-BA.DOCX
Researcher: RP Page 2 3/28/22
below, rather than just a town’s first selectman or borough’s warden. It
also authorizes these municipal CEOs to designate the municipality’s
resident state trooper, or a state police officer from the State Police troop
with jurisdiction over the municipality, to perform these functions.
The bill applies these provisions to the laws on (1) issuing gun dealer
and temporary state handgun permits and (2) receiving copies of
receipts for handgun and long gun sales and transfers. It also makes
conforming changes to the law requiring gun show promoters to notify
the host town’s local official of the show date, time, duration, and
location.
FINGERPRINTING AND IDENTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS
The bill requires the DESPP commissioner to take the fingerprints of
nonresident handgun permit applicants or conduct other positive
identification methods required by the State Police Bureau of
Identification (SPBI) or Federal Bureau of Investigation. If he determines
that the applicant’s fingerprints have previously been taken and the
applicant presents identification that the commissioner determines is
valid, he does not have to take the fingerprints again. The commissioner
must record the date the fingerprints were taken in the applicant’s file
and, within five business days, forward the fingerprints or other
positive identification to SPBI for criminal history checks.
BACKGROUND
Municipal CEOs
By law, each municipality with a charter adopted or amended under
the statutes must have a chief executive officer, who may be the (1) first
selectman; (2) chief administrative officer appointed by the board of
selectmen or mayor; (3) mayor; (4) borough warden; or (5) appointed
town, city, or borough manager (CGS § 7-193). In towns that have a
board of selectman as their executive authority, the first selectman is the
chief executive officer unless the law provides otherwise (CGS § 7-12a).
COMMITTEE ACTION
Public Safety and Security Committee 2022HB-05307-R000130-BA.DOCX
Researcher: RP Page 3 3/28/22
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 24 Nay 0 (03/15/2022)