O F F I C E O F L E G I S L A T I V E R E S E A R C H
P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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PA 23-53—sHB 6667
Judiciary Committee
Appropriations Committee
AN ACT ADDRESSING GU N VIOLENCE
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
§ 1 — HANDGUN PERMIT EXEMPTIONS
Expands where and when a handgun may be carried without a handgun permit to include on land
a person owns or leases, during training at a fish and game club or sporting club, and during an
inspection as merchandise
§§ 1 & 2 — PROHIBITION ON CARRYING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO
DISPLAY IT
With exceptions, prohibits anyone from knowingly carrying a firearm with intent to display it;
makes violations a class B misdemeanor for a first offense and a class A misdemeanor for any
subsequent offense; and requires law enforcement units to annually report on any stops conducted
on suspicion of a violation
§ 3 — GHOST GUN AND OTHER FIREARM MANUFA CTURE AND
TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS
Expands the prohibitions on manufacturing and transferring ghost guns to include those
manufactured between December 16, 1968, and October 1, 2019; prohibits anyone from
possessing ghost guns, with certain exceptions; sets a process for declaring ghost gun possession
to DESPP or obtaining a unique serial number or other identification mark; and establishes a
reduced penalty based on a person’s eligibility to possess firearms, making violations a class C
felony for those who are ineligible and a class C misdemeanor for those who are eligible
§§ 4-11, 13-14, 16 & 33 — LOCAL DEALER PERMIT FOR FIREARM SALES
Requires sellers of 10 or more firearms per year to obtain a local dealer’s permit, rather than just
those who sell the requisite number of handguns; places additional prohibitions and requirements
on permitted firearm dealers, including annually conducting a physical inventory reconciliation
§§ 9, 17-19 & 21-22 — HANDGUN SALE LIMITATION
Generally limits a person to only three handgun retail purchases in a 30-day period, but, among
other exceptions, allows certified firearms instructors to purchase up to six handguns in a 30-day
period; makes violations of the sale limits a class C felony
§ 11 — SEMI-AUTOMATIC CENTERFIRE RIFLE SALES
Generally prohibits all sales, deliveries, and transfers of semi-automatic centerfire rifles that have
or accept a magazine with a capacity of more than five rounds to anyone under age 21
§§ 12 & 20 — FIREARM STORAGE O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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Extends the firearm safe storage law to anyone with a firearm who controls a premise, rather than
only certain individuals; expands the scope of the crime of negligently storing a firearm to apply
when anyone obtains an unlawfully stored firearm and injures or kills himself or herself or
someone else
§ 14 — EXEMPTION FROM AM MUNITION SALES MINIMUM AGE
REQUIREMENT
Exempts specified state agencies and other entities and individuals from the minimum age
requirement for ammunition sales
§§ 15, 23-26 & 49 — 2023 ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN
Expands the assault weapons ban to include more firearms and creates a process for those who
lawfully own these weapons to get a certificate of possession or transfer or sell the weapon
§ 27 — LARGE CAPACITY MAGAZINES (LCM)
Bifurcates the penalties for LCM possession violations based on a person’s eligibility to possess
firearms, making it a class D felony for those who are ineligible to possess firearms and a class A
misdemeanor for those who are eligible to do so; allows defendants to enter diversionary
programs
§§ 28-32 — DISQUALIFYING OFFENSES
Expands the list of disqualifying offenses for possessing or carrying a firearm to include (1)
misdemeanor convictions for offenses designated as family violence crimes and (2) those
prohibited under federal law due to misdemeanor domestic violence convictions or being a
fugitive of justice; makes these offenses reasons for which someone may be guilty of certain
criminal firearm possession laws; increases, by one day, the two-year mandatory minimum prison
sentence for criminal possession of a firearm, ammunition, or electronic weapon and makes those
convicted of this crime eligible for special parole
§§ 28-30 — ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL RE QUIREMENTS
Specifies that firearm safety training requirements for long gun and handgun eligibility
certificates and handgun permits must be completed within two years before applying; requires
training courses to include instruction on state law requirements on safe firearm storage and
lawfully using firearms and carrying firearms in public
§ 33 — TRIGGER LOCKS
Expands existing law’s requirement that gun dealers, at the time of sale, give trigger locks and a
related written warning to handgun buyers by requiring gun dealers to do so for all firearm
buyers, not just handgun buyers; subjects violators to a fine of up to $500
§ 34 — PROHIBITION ON CARRYING LOADED LO NG GUNS IN MOTOR
VEHICLES
Expands the prohibition on carrying or possessing loaded shotguns, rifles, or muzzleloaders in
motor vehicles to include all long guns
§ 35 — BODY ARMOR
Requires those buying or receiving body armor to have certain gun-related credentials; expands
purchase exemptions to include judicial marshals, probation officers, federal firearms licensees,
and emergency medical service organization employees
§§ 36-39 & 43-44 — SERIOUS FIREARM OFFENDER O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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Sets more stringent release conditions for serious firearm offenders; allows or requires
prosecutors to petition the court for bond amounts of up to 30% depending on prior convictions;
lowers the evidentiary threshold for courts to revoke a defendant’s release under certain
circumstances involving serious firearm offenses and requires revocation under these
circumstances; requires certain bail to be forfeited when the defendant commits a serious firearm
offense while on release; requires probation officers to seek arrests for certain serious firearm
offenders or offenses
§ 40 — RETURN TO CUSTODY
Requires the DOC commissioner to request that a parolee be returned to custody without a written
warrant if he or she is (1) a serious firearm offender arrested while on parole for a felony offense
or (2) arrested for a serious firearm offense
§ 41 — FIREARMS-RELATED CRIME DOCKET
Requires the chief court administrator to establish firearm-related crime dockets in certain courts
§ 42 — EMERGENCY PETITION
Authorizes a police officer or prosecutor, when aware that someone released on parole or
probation is a threat to public safety, to file an emergency petition to take specified steps
§ 45 — PENALTY FOR FAILING TO REPORT LOST OR STOLEN
FIREARM OR ASSAULT W EAPON
Increases the penalty for a first offense of failing to report the loss or theft of a firearm or assault
weapon from an infraction to a class A misdemeanor
§ 46 — HANDGUN CARRY PERMIT
Requires the DESPP commissioner to decide on a handgun permit application when the applicant
presents an affidavit that the local authority failed to expressly deny or approve a temporary state
permit application within a specified period; requires the local authority or DESPP to give a
detailed, written reason for denying an application
§ 47 — MASS SHOOTING EVENT RESPONSE
Requires DESPP’s civil preparedness plan to include a response plan for a mass shooting event;
requires the DESPP commissioner to coordinate with the (1) DPH commissioner to deploy grief
counselors and mental health professionals to help family members or other people closely
connected to mass shooting victims and (2) chief state’s attorney to report on mass shooting
investigations
§ 48 — POLICE NOTICE OF FIREARM RIGHTS AND RISK PROTECTION
ORDER APPLICATION PROCESS
Requires law enforcement units to post public notices informing people about (1) various firearm-
related rights, including specified information about the permit process and the right to own,
possess, and carry firearms and (2) the risk protection order application process
SUMMARY: This act makes various changes to the state’s firearm (gun) laws,
including various minor, conforming, and technical modifications.
EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2023, unless otherwise specified below.
§ 1 — HANDGUN PERMIT EXEMPTIONS O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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Expands where and when a handgun may be carried without a handgun permit to include on land
a person owns or leases, during training at a fish and game club or sporting club, and during an
inspection as merchandise
Under existing law, anyone carrying a pistol or revolver (i.e., handgun) in the
state must generally have a Connecticut-issued handgun permit. However, by law,
this permit is not required to possess a handgun in one’s home or place of business.
The act expands this exemption to include handgun possession on land a person
leases or owns.
Other Exemptions
Existing law also allows anyone to carry a handgun without the permit during
repairs and certain training. Prior law defined this training as “formal pistol or
revolver training,” which meant handgun training at a locally approved or permitted
firing range or training facility. The act renames this term “firearm training” and
expands its scope by (1) adding training at a fish and game club or sporting club
and (2) eliminating the express limitation that the firing range be locally approved
or permitted.
The act also exempts a person inspecting a firearm as merchandise from the
permitting requirement. Existing law already exempts the following individuals:
1. Connecticut parole and peace officers;
2. other states’ parole and peace officers on official business;
3. legally appointed and certified Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)
inspectors;
4. federal marshals and law enforcement officers;
5. state and U.S. Armed Forces members on, or going to or coming from, duty;
and
6. members of a military organization on parade or going to or coming from a
place of assembly.
Existing law also exempts anyone transporting a handgun:
1. as merchandise;
2. in its original package from the point of purchase to his or her home or
business;
3. for repair or when moving household goods;
4. to or from a testing range at a permit-issuing authority’s request; or
5. that is an antique handgun (e.g., those manufactured before 1899).
The act broadens the circumstances under which certain nonresidents may
transport handguns without a Connecticut permit. Under existing law, bona fide
U.S. residents allowed to possess and carry a handgun in the state they reside in
may transport a handgun in or through Connecticut to (1) participate in
competitions, (2) take the handgun for repair, or (3) attend meetings or exhibitions
of organized gun collectors. Prior law also allowed these individuals to do so for
“formal pistol or revolver training.” As described above, the act renames this
training “firearm training,” and adds more locations.
By law and under the act, if a handgun is being transported under any of the
above exemptions, it must be unloaded, and, if it is being transported in a motor O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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vehicle, the handgun must not be readily or directly accessible from the vehicle’s
passenger compartment or, if the vehicle does not have such a compartment, in a
locked container other than the glove compartment or console.
§§ 1 & 2 — PROHIBITION ON CARRYING A FIREARM WITH INTENT TO
DISPLAY IT
With exceptions, prohibits anyone from knowingly carrying a firearm with intent to display it;
makes violations a class B misdemeanor for a first offense and a class A misdemeanor for any
subsequent offense; and requires law enforcement units to annually report on any stops conducted
on suspicion of a violation
The act generally prohibits anyone from knowingly carrying a firearm with
intent to display it. Under the act, if a person has taken reasonable measures to
conceal that he or she is carrying a firearm, then he or she is not deemed to have
intended to display the firearm. Additionally, neither a fleeting glimpse of a firearm
nor an imprint of a firearm through someone’s clothing is a violation. It is also not
a violation if a person displays a firearm temporarily while engaged in self-defense
or other lawful conduct.
The act’s prohibition also does not apply to a person (1) in his or her home, (2)
on land he or she leases or owns, (3) in his or her place of business, or (4) when
engaged in a bona fide hunting activity or “firearm training” (see § 1 Other
Exemptions above). The same individuals and circumstances exempt from the
handgun permit requirement are also exempt from the act’s intent to display
prohibition (see § 1 Other Exemptions above).
(PA 23-203, § 1, further exempts such firearm display (1) on land that a person
possesses by other means than leasing or owning and (2) when a person has been
explicitly allowed by another person to do so while in that person’s home; on land
he or she leases, owns, or otherwise possesses; or in his or her place of business. It
also exempts security guards, certain honor guard members, and licensed bail
enforcement agents.)
Penalty
Under the act, anyone violating the intent to display prohibition is guilty of a
(1) class B misdemeanor for a first offense and (2) class A misdemeanor for any
subsequent offense (see Table on Penalties). As under existing law for violating the
handgun permitting requirement, any handgun found in the possession of a person
violating the intent to display prohibition must be forfeited.
As under existing law for other gun offenses, the act allows the court to suspend
prosecution of a violation of this provision, in addition to any available diversionary
programs, if it finds the violation is not of a serious nature and the person charged
(1) will probably not offend in the future, (2) has not previously been convicted of
this provision, and (3) has not previously had a prosecution under this provision
suspended. (Presumably, the act’s previous convictions and suspensions
requirements only refer to the intent to display provision.)
The act prohibits the court from ordering a suspended prosecution unless the O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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accused person has acknowledged that he or she understands the consequences of
the suspension. Anyone who has his or her prosecution suspended must agree to
the tolling of any statute of limitations on the violation and to waive his or her right
to a speedy trial. The person must appear in court and be released to the Court
Support Services Division’s (CSSD) supervision for up to two years under court-
ordered conditions. If the person refuses to accept or violates the conditions after
accepting them, the court must terminate the suspension and the case must be
brought to trial.
Under the act, if the person satisfactorily completes probation, he or she may
apply for the court to dismiss the charges, and the court must dismiss them if it
finds that probation has been completed. If the person does not apply for dismissal
after satisfactorily completing probation, the court, upon receiving a CSSD report
confirming completion, may on its own motion make a finding of completion and
dismiss the charges. Upon dismissal, all records of the charges must be erased
according to the erasure of criminal records law (CGS § 54-142a).
A court order denying a motion to dismiss the charges against a person who has
completed his or her probation is a final judgment for appeal purposes. The same
judgment applies to a court order terminating a person’s participation in a probation
program.
Report
Starting by February 1, 2025, the act requires each law enforcement unit to
annually prepare and submit to the Institute for Municipal and Regional Policy at
UConn a report on any stops done on suspicion of a violation of the act’s intent to
display prohibition during the preceding calendar year. The initial report must be
based on the 15 months before January 1, 2025.
Law enforcement units must submit the reports electronically using a
standardized method and form sent out jointly by the institute and the Police Officer
Standards and Training Council (POST). The method and form must allow for
compiling statistics on each incident, including the race and gender of the person
stopped, based on the police officer’s observation and perception. The institute and
POST may revise the method and form and send the revisions to law enforcement
units. Before submitting the report, each law enforcement unit must redact any
information that may identify a minor, witness, or victim.
Within available appropriations, the institute must review the incidents reported
and, beginning by December 1, 2025, annually report the review’s results and its
recommendations to the governor and the Judiciary, Planning and Development,
and Public Safety and Security committees.
A “law enforcement unit” is any state or municipal agency or department (or
tribal agency or department created and governed under a memorandum of
agreement) whose primary functions include enforcing criminal or traffic laws;
preserving public order; protecting life and property; or preventing, detecting, or
investigating crime (CGS § 7-294a).
O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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§ 3 — GHOST GUN AND OTHER FIREARM MANUFA CTURE AND
TRANSFER RESTRICTIONS
Expands the prohibitions on manufacturing and transferring ghost guns to include those
manufactured between December 16, 1968, and October 1, 2019; prohibits anyone from
possessing ghost guns, with certain exceptions; sets a process for declaring ghost gun possession
to DESPP or obtaining a unique serial number or other identification mark; and establishes a
reduced penalty based on a person’s eligibility to possess firearms, making violations a class C
felony for those who are ineligible and a class C misdemeanor for those who are eligible
The act makes various changes to the state’s laws on the manufacture and
transfer of certain firearms, including those without a serial number or other
identification mark (i.e., ghost guns).
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
Expansion of Ghost Gun Manufacture and Transfer Prohibitions
Existing law generally prohibits anyone from creating a ghost gun. It does so
by prohibiting them from completing the manufacture of a firearm without (1)
obtaining a unique serial number or other identification mark from the Department
of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) and (2) engraving or
permanently affixing it to the firearm. It also generally prohibits, among other
things, transferring a ghost gun manufactured in violation of this law.
Prior law allowed exceptions to these prohibitions for certain firearms,
including those manufactured before the prior law’s effective date (i.e., October 1,
2019) if they were otherwise lawfully possessed. Beginning June 6, 2023, the act
narrows this exception to firearms manufactured before December 16, 1968, thus
expanding these prohibitions to include those manufactured between December 16,
1968, and October 1, 2019. (December 16, 1968, is the effective date for most
provisions of the federal Gun Control Act of 1968 (P.L. 90-618).)
Prohibitions on Ghost Gun Possession and Transfer
Beginning January 1, 2024, the act generally prohibits anyone from possessing
a ghost gun, with certain exceptions. This includes if the person has (1) declared
possession as described below or (2) applied for a unique serial number or other
identification mark from DESPP but has not yet received it.
With limited exceptions, the act prohibits anyone in Connecticut from
distributing, importing into the state, keeping or offering for sale, or purchasing a
ghost gun. This prohibition does not apply to ghost gun transfers (1) declared to
DESPP; (2) by bequest or intestate succession; (3) upon a testator’s or settlor’s
death, to a trust or from a trust to a beneficiary; or (4) to a police department or
DESPP.
As under existing law, the act’s possession and transfer prohibitions do not
apply to the following:
1. any firearm manufactured with a frame or lower receiver that has a serial
number or mark engraved or permanently affixed in a way that conforms to O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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the requirements that federal law and associated regulations impose on
licensed firearm importers and manufacturers;
2. the manufacture of firearms by federally licensed manufacturers;
3. any “antique firearm” (e.g., one manufactured before 1899);
4. any firearm manufactured before December 16, 1968, if the firearm is
otherwise lawfully possessed; or
5. delivery or transfers to a “law enforcement agency” (i.e., the State Police
and any municipal police department).
Declaration of Possession. Under the act, anyone who, before January 1, 2024,
“lawfully possesses” a ghost gun manufactured before October 1, 2019, must apply
to DESPP to declare possession by January 1, 2024. However, if the person is a
state or U.S. Armed Forces member (i.e., servicemember) and cannot apply by
January 1, 2024, because he or she is on official duty outside of Connecticut, then
the member must instead apply within 90 days after returning to the state. The
application must be made as the DESPP commissioner prescribes.
For these purposes, a person “lawfully possesses” a ghost gun if he or she has
(1) actual and lawful possession of it; (2) constructive possession of it through a
lawful purchase before June 6, 2023, regardless of whether the ghost gun was
delivered to him or her before that date; or (3) actual or constructive possession, as
shown by a written statement made under penalty of false statement on a DESPP-
prescribed form. For constructive possession, the act requires the lawful purchase
to be shown in writing sufficient to indicate that before the act’s prohibition took
effect a contract for sale was made between the parties to buy the ghost gun or the
purchaser made a full or partial payment for it to the seller.
Moving Into the State. The act allows anyone who moves into the state in lawful
possession of a ghost gun to, within 90 days, either (1) get a unique serial number
or other identification mark from DESPP and engrave or permanently affix it to the
gun, (2) render the ghost gun permanently inoperable, (3) sell the ghost gun to a
federally licensed gun dealer, or (4) remove the ghost gun from the state. However,
if the person is a servicemember who transferred into the state after January 1, 2024,
he or she may instead apply to DESPP within 90 days of arriving in Connecticut to
declare possession of the ghost gun.
Regulations. The act allows DESPP to adopt regulations establishing
procedures to declare possession or get a unique serial number or mark. Regardless
of the Freedom of Information Act’s provisions on access to public records and
their disclosure, the name and address of a person who has declared possession of
a ghost gun must be confidential and not disclosable. However, the records may be
disclosed to (1) “law enforcement agencies” (see above), U.S. Probation Office
employees, and Department of Correction (DOC) parole officers doing their duties
and (2) the Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS)
commissioner checking the status of firearm applications from anyone who has
been involuntarily committed or voluntarily admitted.
Illegal Assistance in Manufacturing a Firearm
Prior law prohibited anyone from facilitating, aiding, or abetting the O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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manufacture of a firearm (1) by or for someone otherwise prohibited by law from
owning or possessing a firearm or (2) that a person is otherwise prohibited by law
from purchasing or possessing. The act specifies that this prohibition applies if the
person takes any of these actions knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal
negligence.
Penalties
The act establishes a reduced penalty for violations of the above laws based on
a person’s eligibility to possess firearms. Prior law required violators to forfeit any
firearms in their possession and made violations a class C felony with a two-year
mandatory minimum prison term and a $5,000 minimum fine unless the court stated
on the record its reasons for remitting or reducing the fine. Under the act, these
penalties may be imposed only on violators who are ineligible to possess a firearm
under state or federal law. For anyone who is eligible to possess a firearm, the act
makes any violation a class C misdemeanor.
By law and under the act, the court may suspend the prosecution of a person
who violates any of the above laws and dismiss the charges under certain
conditions. Specifically, the court may do so if, among other things, it finds the
violation is not serious in nature, the alleged violator will probably not reoffend,
and he or she has not previously been convicted under these laws or had a
prosecution under these laws suspended.
§§ 4-11, 13-14, 16 & 33 — LOCAL DEALER PERMIT FOR FIREARM SALES
Requires sellers of 10 or more firearms per year to obtain a local dealer’s permit, rather than just
those who sell the requisite number of handguns; places additional prohibitions and requirements
on permitted firearm dealers, including annually conducting a physical inventory reconciliation
Federal law requires anyone in the business of selling firearms to be licensed as
federal firearms licensees (FFL) (18 U.S.C. § 923). Existing state law further
requires FFLs and those who sell 10 or more handguns in a calendar year to also
have a local dealer permit to sell handguns. (A local dealer permit is a permit issued
by the municipality’s police chief or another authorized official.) The act expands
this permitting requirement so that it applies to those who sell 10 or more of any
type of firearm, rather than just handguns. It makes several minor and related
conforming changes, such as limiting all firearm sales by permittees to the room,
store, or place described in their permits, instead of only for handgun sales as under
prior law.
Under the act, anyone holding a local dealer permit for retail handgun sales
issued on or before September 30, 2023, is deemed to be a holder of a local dealer
permit for retail firearm sales until the permit expires or is revoked, suspended,
confiscated, or surrendered. The permittee may then renew the permit as a permit
for retail firearm sales. By law, the fee to obtain a local dealer permit (an original
or renewal) is $200.
Dealer Permittee Prohibitions (§ 8) O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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The act places additional prohibitions on dealer permittees. It prohibits them
from:
1. furnishing false or fraudulent information in any DESPP application or
failing to comply with representations made in any application;
2. failing to maintain a (a) handgun permit or handgun eligibility certificate
and (b) local dealer permit;
3. failing to maintain effective controls against firearm theft, including
installing or maintaining a burglar alarm system as required under existing
state law;
4. failing to acquire an authorization number for a firearm transfer;
5. transferring a firearm to a person ineligible to receive it, unless the permittee
relied in good faith on information DESPP provided in verifying the
person’s eligibility;
6. selling, delivering, or otherwise illegally transferring an assault weapon or
LCM or failing to maintain accurate records of their sale, delivery, or
transfer;
7. failing to maintain current and proper acquisition and disposition records
the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF)
requires;
8. failing to post placards or furnish written warnings with specific text about
the penalties for the unlawful storage of loaded firearms;
9. failing to provide a trigger lock, gun lock, or gun locking device with each
purchase;
10. failing to verify employees’ age and criminal background;
11. failing to report any firearm stolen as required by state and federal law; and
12. failing to do the annual physical inventory reconciliation the act requires.
Physical Inventory Reconciliation. Under the act and within the first five
business days in October, dealer permittees must annually do a physical inventory
reconciliation that includes comparing their physical inventory of firearms with the
acquisition and disposition records that state and federal law require them to
maintain. Within five business days after performing the reconciliation, the
permittee must attest to the DESPP commissioner, in a form and manner he
prescribes, that it was performed and that he or she reported any firearms that were
determined to be missing to the attorney general and appropriate local authorities
as required by state and federal law. (State law requires all lawful firearm owners
to report a lost or stolen firearm within 72 hours after they discover or should have
discovered the loss or theft; federal law requires FFLs to report within 48 hours to
the relevant authorities (CGS § 53-202g & 18 U.S.C. § 923(g)(6)).)
Violations. Under the act, if there is probable cause to believe that a dealer
permittee has failed to comply with the above prohibitions or their other duties
under state law, the DESPP commissioner or relevant law enforcement authority in
the municipality where the permittee resides (i.e., the police chief or, where there
is no chief, the municipality’s chief executive officer (CEO) or the resident state
trooper or relevant state police officer designated by the municipality’s CEO) may
issue a violation notice. The notice must detail the reasons for issuing it and state
the date by which the permittee must cure the violation, which must be at least 30 O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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days after the notice’s service date.
If the cure period has expired and the commissioner or relevant law
enforcement authority determines the violation continues, he or she may
temporarily prohibit further firearm sales at the permitted premises by issuing a
stop sales order. The order will be effective when served on the permittee or posted
at the permitted premises. The commissioner or relevant law enforcement authority
may assess a civil penalty of up to $100 for each day the violation continues. Any
permittee who violates a stop sales order is guilty of a class C felony with a two-
year mandatory minimum prison sentence and a $5,000 minimum fine, which may
not be remitted or reduced unless the court states on the record its reasons for doing
so.
Anyone issued a stop sales order may request a hearing before the DESPP
commissioner to contest the grounds for the order and any associated civil penalties.
The hearing must be held within seven days after the request’s receipt in accordance
with the Uniform Administrative Procedure Act.
Under the act, stop sales orders are effective against any successor entity that
(1) has at least one of the same principals or officers as the corporation, partnership,
or sole proprietorship against which the stop order was issued and (2) is engaged in
the same or equivalent trade or activity.
The act requires the DESPP commissioner to adopt regulations to specify any
hearing provisions needed to carry out these provisions.
Vendor Records (§ 7)
Prior law required vendors of any dealer to keep a record of each handgun sold
in a book, in a manner consistent with federal regulations. The vendor had to make
the record available for inspection at the request of any sworn member of a local
police department or the State Police or any investigator assigned to the statewide
firearms trafficking task force. The act (1) extends these recordkeeping
requirements to cover all firearms, (2) requires vendors to also make the records
available for inspection by any federal law enforcement agency investigator, and
(3) specifies that inspection by authorized members and investigators must be for
official purposes related to the member’s or investigator’s employment.
§§ 9, 17-19 & 21-22 — HANDGUN SALE LIMITATION
Generally limits a person to only three handgun retail purchases in a 30-day period, but, among
other exceptions, allows certified firearms instructors to purchase up to six handguns in a 30-day
period; makes violations of the sale limits a class C felony
Under state law, DESPP (1) maintains a state database on the validity of the
handgun permits, local dealer permits, and long gun eligibility certificates issued
under state law and (2) serves as the point of contact for initiating a background
check in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). With
limited exceptions, when anyone sells, delivers, or transfers a firearm, he or she
must first contact DESPP, which checks these systems, and receive an authorization
number to complete the sale, delivery, or transfer (CGS § 29-36l). (NICS is the O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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federal database used to determine if prospective gun buyers are disqualified from
acquiring or possessing firearms under state or federal law.)
With certain exceptions, the act limits a person to only three handgun retail
purchases in a 30-day period. It does so by prohibiting the DESPP commissioner
from issuing more than three authorization numbers for the retail sale of a handgun
for any transferee within a 30-day period, except he may issue up to six for a
firearms instructor certified by Connecticut or the National Rifle Association
(NRA).
These sale limitations do not apply to:
1. a firearm (a) transferred to a federal, state, or municipal law enforcement
agency or (b) legally transferred by a person ineligible to possess it;
2. the exchange of a handgun purchased by an individual from an FFL for
another handgun from the same FFL within 30 days after the original
transaction, so long as the FFL reports the transaction to the DESPP
commissioner;
3. certain antique handguns (e.g., those manufactured before 1899 that are
exempt from certain state laws regulating handgun transfers); or
4. a transfer to a museum at a fixed location that is open to the public and
displays firearms as part of an educational mission.
By law, the act’s sale limitations, as well as certain state laws regulating
handgun transfers, also do not apply to handgun sales, deliveries, and other transfers
between an FFL and (1) federally licensed firearm manufacturers, (2) federally
licensed firearm importers, or (3) another FFL. The act extends these exemptions
to handgun sales, deliveries, and transfers between federally licensed firearm
manufacturers.
As under existing law for illegal handgun sales, deliveries, and transfers, a
violation of the act’s sale limitations is a class C felony with a two-year mandatory
minimum prison sentence and a $5,000 minimum fine, which may not be remitted
or reduced unless the court states on the record its reasons for doing so.
Additionally, the court may suspend the prosecution of a person who violates the
act’s sales limitations and dismiss the charges under certain conditions.
§ 11 — SEMI-AUTOMATIC CENTERFIRE RIFLE SALES
Generally prohibits all sales, deliveries, and transfers of semi-automatic centerfire rifles that have
or accept a magazine with a capacity of more than five rounds to anyone under age 21
Prior law generally prohibited selling, delivering, or transferring, at retail, any
semi-automatic centerfire rifle that has or accepts a magazine with a capacity of
more than five rounds to anyone under age 21. The act expands this prohibition by
applying it to all sales, deliveries, or transfers of these rifles, not just those at retail.
By law, this prohibition does not apply to the sale, delivery, or transfer of this rifle
to the following for use in the discharge of their duties: (1) employees or members
of local police departments, DESPP, or DOC or (2) state or U.S. Armed Forces
members.
§§ 12 & 20 — FIREARM STORAGE O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 13 of 33
Extends the firearm safe storage law to anyone with a firearm who controls a premise, rather than
only certain individuals; expands the scope of the crime of negligently storing a firearm to apply
when anyone obtains an unlawfully stored firearm and injures or kills himself or herself or
someone else
Storage Requirements
The act extends the firearm safe storage law to cover anyone with a firearm who
controls the premises, rather than only certain individuals. Under prior law, the safe
storage requirements only applied if such a person knew or reasonably should have
known that a (1) minor was likely to gain access to the firearm without a parent’s
or guardian’s permission or (2) resident was ineligible to possess firearms, was
subject to a risk protection order, or posed a risk of imminent personal harm or
harm to others. The act eliminates these conditions.
By law, a person’s firearm may only be stored or kept on his or her premises if
it is:
1. kept in a securely locked box or other container or in a way that a reasonable
person would believe to be secure or
2. carried on his or her person or so closely that he or she can readily retrieve
and use the firearm as if he or she were carrying it.
Criminally Negligent Storage of a Firearm
Under prior law, a person was guilty of criminally negligent storage of a firearm
if a minor, resident who was ineligible to possess firearms, or resident who posed
a risk of imminent personal harm or harm to others obtained the person’s unlawfully
stored firearm and used it to injure or kill himself or herself or someone else, unless
the minor obtained the firearm through unlawful entry. The act expands the scope
of this crime so that it generally applies when any person obtains an unlawfully
stored firearm. It relatedly removes the age restriction on prior law’s mitigating
circumstances for unlawful entry and adds a reporting requirement. Thus, under the
act, the firearm storer is not guilty of this crime if the other person obtained the
firearm through unlawful entry and, if the firearm was stolen, the firearm is reported
as stolen as existing law requires. By law, violators are guilty of a class D felony.
As under existing law, unchanged by the act, a person who fails to securely
store a firearm is strictly liable for damages, regardless of intent, when a minor, or
a resident who is ineligible to possess firearms or poses a risk of imminent personal
harm or harm to others, gets a firearm and causes self-harm or harm to others (CGS
§ 52-571g).
§ 14 — EXEMPTION FROM AMMUNITION SALES M INIMUM AGE
REQUIREMENT
Exempts specified state agencies and other entities and individuals from the minimum age
requirement for ammunition sales
Under existing law, if someone wants to purchase ammunition or an O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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ammunition magazine, he or she must generally (1) present a valid gun credential
or ammunition certificate and (2) be at least age 18. Certain specified state agencies,
entities, and individuals however are exempt from the gun credential or ammunition
certificate requirement. The act additionally exempts them from the minimum age
requirement, thus allowing sales of ammunition to them regardless of the
purchaser’s age.
By law, the exempt agencies, entities, and individuals are generally the
following:
1. DESPP, DOC, DMV, the Department of Energy and Environmental
Protection (DEEP), the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ), police
departments, and the state and U.S. Armed Forces;
2. sworn and duly certified members of organized police departments, the
State Police, and DOC;
3. DCJ inspectors, DMV commissioner-designated inspectors, DEEP
commissioner-appointed conservation officers, and locally appointed
constables certified by POST who perform criminal law enforcement
duties;
4. state and U.S. Armed Forces members;
5. nuclear facilities licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and
their contractors and subcontractors; and
6. federally licensed firearms manufacturers, importers, dealers, and
collectors.
§§ 15, 23-26 & 49 — 2023 ASSAULT WEAPONS BAN
Expands the assault weapons ban to include more firearms and creates a process for those who
lawfully own these weapons to get a certificate of possession or transfer or sell the weapon
State law generally bans anyone from possessing or selling an “assault weapon”
(see Background — Assault Weapons). Beginning June 6, 2023, the act expands the
types of assault weapons banned to include additional firearms, which the act
designates as “2023 assault weapons.” Under existing law and the act, with minor
exceptions, no one in Connecticut may:
1. give, distribute, transport, import, expose, keep, or sell an assault weapon
(CGS § 53-202b) or
2. possess an assault weapon, unless he or she lawfully possessed it before the
applicable ban took effect and got a certificate of possession from DESPP
for it (i.e., registered it).
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
2023 Assault Weapons Ban (§§ 23 & 49)
Under the act, a “2023 assault weapon” generally includes any semiautomatic
firearm regardless of (1) whether the firearm is specifically banned by existing law
and (2) the date the firearm was produced if it meets the criteria described below.
More specifically, it is any semiautomatic firearm, other than a pistol, revolver,
rifle, or shotgun, that has at least one of the following: O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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1. a grip or stock that allows someone to hold it with more than just the trigger
finger directly below the firing action;
2. an ability to accept a detachable ammunition magazine that attaches at some
location outside of the pistol grip;
3. a fixed magazine that can accept more than 10 rounds;
4. a flash suppressor or silencer, or a threaded barrel capable of accepting a
flash suppressor or silencer;
5. a shroud that is attached to, or partially or completely encircles, the barrel
and that allows the shooter to fire the firearm without being burned, except
a slide that encloses the barrel;
6. a second hand grip; or
7. an arm brace or other stabilizing brace that allows the firearm to be fired
from the shoulder, with or without an arm strap.
Additionally, a “2023 assault weapon” includes a combination of parts designed
or intended to convert a firearm into an assault weapon, as expanded under the act,
or any combination of parts from which an assault weapon may be assembled if the
same person possessed and controlled those parts.
Lastly, it includes certain semiautomatic firearms that were legally
manufactured before September 13, 1994, that were not listed by name under the
1994 assault weapons ban but were instead defined by their features. (The act
relatedly repeals the exemption for these pre-1994 firearms (§ 49).) Specifically,
these are the following:
1. semiautomatic rifles that can accept a detachable magazine if the rifle has
any two of the following features: a (a) folding or telescoping stock, (b)
pistol grip that protrudes conspicuously beneath the action of the weapon,
(c) bayonet mount, (d) flash suppressor or threaded barrel designed to
accommodate a flash suppressor, or (e) grenade launcher;
2. semiautomatic pistols that can accept a detachable magazine if the pistol
has any two of the following features: (a) an ammunition magazine that
attaches to the pistol outside of the pistol grip; (b) a threaded barrel that can
accept a barrel extender, flash suppressor, forward handgrip, or silencer; (c)
a shroud attached to, or partially or completely encircling, the barrel that
allows the shooter to hold the firearm with the non-trigger hand without
being burned; (d) a manufactured weight of 50 ounces or more when
unloaded; or (e) a semiautomatic version of an automatic firearm;
3. semiautomatic shotguns with any two of the following features: (a) a folding
or telescoping stock, (b) a pistol grip conspicuously protruding beneath the
action of the weapon, (c) a fixed magazine capacity of more than five
rounds, or (d) the ability to accept a detachable magazine; and
4. a part or combination of parts designed or intended to convert a firearm into
one of these assault weapons or from which such a weapon may be
assembled rapidly if they are in someone’s possession and control.
Lawful Possession of a 2023 Assault Weapon (§ 23)
Under the act, to “lawfully possess” a 2023 assault weapon is to have: O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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1. actual possession that is lawful under the state laws on assault weapons;
2. constructive possession by a lawful purchase transacted before June 6,
2023, regardless of whether the assault weapon was delivered before that
date, with written evidence sufficient to indicate that (a) a sales contract for
purchasing the weapon was made between the parties before that date or (b)
the purchaser made full or partial payment for the weapon before then; or
3. actual or constructive possession as described above as shown by a written
statement made under penalty of false statement on a DESPP form.
By law, making a false statement is a class A misdemeanor (CGS § 53a-157b).
Certificate of Possession (§ 25)
Under the act, anyone who, before June 6, 2023, lawfully possesses a 2023
assault weapon may apply to DESPP by May 1, 2024, for a certificate of possession
for the weapon. This includes anyone who regains possession of one from a
licensed gun dealer, consignment shop operator, or licensed pawnbroker placed
with them before June 6, 2023, as described below. Servicemembers unable to
apply for a certificate by May 1, 2024, because they were out of state on official
duty have 90 days after returning to Connecticut to apply for the certificate. The
certificate allows a person to keep the firearm if he or she is eligible and otherwise
complies with the law (see Background — Locations Where Registered Weapon
May Be Kept). DESPP (1) must accept applications in both paper and electronic
form, to the extent possible, and (2) cannot require applications to be notarized.
As under existing law, the certificate must contain a description of the firearm
that identifies it uniquely, including all identification marks; the owner’s full name,
address, date of birth, and thumbprint; and any other information DESPP deems
appropriate. The name and address are confidential and may be disclosed only to
(1) law enforcement agencies, DOC parole officers, and U.S. Probation Office
employees carrying out their duties and (2) the DMHAS commissioner to carry out
certain firearm-related duties.
Under the act, anyone who previously got a certificate of possession for an
assault weapon before June 6, 2023, that is also a 2023 assault weapon does not
have to get a subsequent certificate. He or she is deemed to have gotten a certificate
for the weapon under the assault weapons laws.
Federal Reclassification (§§ 24 & 25)
The act establishes conditions under which certain individuals may lawfully
possess a 2023 assault weapon if the assault weapon was reclassified for federal
purposes as a rifle under the recent amendments to federal regulations on commerce
in firearms and ammunition (i.e., 27 C.F.R. Parts 478 & 479 (published at 88
Federal Register 6478 (January 31, 2023))). Under the act, the person must:
1. have applied to register the assault weapon under the federal National
Firearms Act (P.L. No. 73-474) using the form known as Form 1 that ATF
publishes, submitted a copy of the form to DESPP by August 1, 2023, and
ATF must have approved the application, denied the application within the O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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past 30 days, or not yet processed the application;
2. have lawfully possessed the assault weapon before June 6, 2023; and
3. have otherwise complied with the assault weapons laws.
For these individuals whose applications have not yet been processed by ATF,
the act allows them to apply to DESPP, by May 1, 2024, for a temporary
certification of possession. This certificate expires on the earlier of January 1, 2027,
or seven days after a Form 1 application denial.
If the Form 1 application is approved, the person may then apply to DESPP to
convert the temporary certificate into an assault weapon certificate of possession.
A full and complete Form 1 application submitted to DESPP in a form and manner
determined by the department constitutes a complete application for a temporary
certificate, and a copy of the notice of a Form 1 application approval constitutes a
complete application to convert. If a complete application to convert is received,
DESPP must approve the application.
DESPP (1) must accept applications in both paper and electronic form, to the
extent possible, and (2) cannot require applications to be notarized.
Certificate of Possession Exemptions (§§ 24 & 25)
Under the act, as under existing law, specified state agencies, entities, and
individuals who lawfully possess an assault weapon to use for official duties do not
need a certificate of possession for the weapon. The exempt agencies, entities, and
individuals are generally the following:
1. DESPP, DOC, DCJ, DMV, DEEP, police departments, and the state and
U.S. Armed Forces;
2. sworn and duly certified members of organized police departments, the
State Police, and DOC;
3. DCJ inspectors, DMV commissioner-designated inspectors, DEEP
commissioner-appointed conservation officers, and locally appointed
constables certified by POST who perform criminal law enforcement
duties; and
4. nuclear facilities licensed by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission or
their contractors and subcontractors.
However, under the act, if one of the above sworn members, inspectors,
officers, or constables buys a 2023 assault weapon for his or her official duties and
then subsequently retires or is separated from service, he or she must apply to
DESPP for a certificate of possession for the weapon within 90 days of retiring or
being separated.
Gun Manufacturer and Dealer Exemptions
Existing law allows, among other things, federally-licensed firearm
manufacturers to manufacture and transport assault weapons for sale (1) to exempt
parties in Connecticut and (2) out of state (CGS § 53-202i). It also allows FFLs
with a state permit who lawfully possess assault weapons to (1) transport the
weapons between dealers or out of state, (2) display them at gun shows licensed by O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 18 of 33
a state or local government entity, or (3) sell them to residents out of state. These
gun dealers and manufacturers may also take possession of registered weapons and
the dealers may transfer them for servicing or repair to a licensed gunsmith (1) in
their employ or (2) under contract to provide gunsmithing services to the dealers
(CGS § 53-202f).
Since 2023 assault weapons are included in the statutory definition of “assault
weapon” (see Background — Assault Weapon), these exemptions also apply to
those weapons under the act.
Temporary Transfer and Possession of Assault Weapons
As under existing law, the act also allows the temporary possession and transfer
of a registered assault weapon, including a 2023 assault weapon, for certain out-of-
state events, such as shooting competitions, exhibitions, displays, or educational
projects about firearms sponsored by, done under the auspices of, or approved by,
a law enforcement agency or a nationally or state-recognized entity that fosters
proficiency in firearms use or promotes firearms education (CGS § 53-202h).
Sales, Bequests, or Intestate Succession (§ 25)
The act prohibits a 2023 assault weapon lawfully possessed with a certificate of
possession from being sold or transferred on or after June 6, 2023, to anyone in
Connecticut except (1) a licensed gun dealer; (2) DESPP or local police
departments; or (3) by bequest or intestate succession, or upon death, to a trust or
from a trust to a beneficiary who is eligible to possess the weapon.
Transfer for Sale Out-of-State (§ 15)
Until April 30, 2024, the act allows anyone who lawfully possessed a 2023
assault weapon on June 5, 2023, to transfer possession of it to a licensed gun dealer
in or outside of Connecticut for an out-of-state sale. He or she may transport the
weapon to the dealer for this purpose without obtaining a certificate of possession.
Dealer, Pawnbroker, and Consignment Shops (§ 15)
The act allows licensed gun dealers, licensed pawnbrokers, and consignment
shop operators to transfer possession of a 2023 assault weapon to a person who:
1. legally possessed it before June 6, 2023;
2. placed the weapon in the possession of the dealer, pawnbroker, or operator
under an agreement to sell the weapon to a third person; and
3. is eligible to possess it when it is transferred back to the person.
Relinquishment of Assault Weapon to Law Enforcement Agency
As under existing law, the act also allows an individual to arrange in advance
to relinquish an assault weapon, including a 2023 assault weapon, to a police O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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department or DESPP (CGS § 53-202e).
Penalties (§ 24)
As under existing law, the act applies the same penalties to 2023 assault
weapons as other assault weapons.
By law, it is a class D felony with a mandatory minimum one-year prison term
to possess a banned assault weapon, except that a first violation is a class A
misdemeanor if the person proves that he or she lawfully possessed the weapon
before October 1, 1993, or on April 4, 2013, (depending on the specific weapon)
and is otherwise in compliance with the law. The act adds another exception for a
first-time violator who can prove he or she lawfully possessed a 2023 assault
weapon on June 5, 2023, and is otherwise in compliance.
Additionally, by law and under the act, it is a class C felony with a mandatory
minimum two-year prison term to give, transfer, keep, sell, or distribute banned
assault weapons, including 2023 assault weapons. For transfers, sales, or gifts to
people under age 18, the court must impose an additional six-year mandatory
minimum, in addition and consecutive to the term for the underlying offense (CGS
§ 53-202b(a)).
Background — Assault Weapons
Under existing law and the act, an “assault weapon” is a “2023 assault weapon”
(see above) and any selective-fire firearm capable of fully automatic,
semiautomatic, or burst fire, or any parts designed or intended to convert a firearm
into an assault weapon or from which an assault weapon may be rapidly assembled
if possessed or under the control of the same person. It includes (1) specified
semiautomatic firearms banned by name and (2) others classified based on their
features (e.g., semiautomatic centerfire rifles that can accept a detachable magazine
and have at least one other specified feature and semiautomatic pistols and
centerfire rifles with fixed magazines that can hold more than 10 rounds).
An assault weapon does not include (1) any parts or combination of parts of a
lawfully possessed assault weapon that are not assembled as an assault weapon,
when possessed for servicing or repair by a licensed gun dealer or gunsmith in the
dealer’s employ and (2) any firearm rendered permanently inoperable.
Background — Locations Where Registered Weapon May Be Kept
Under existing law and the act, any resident with a certificate of possession for
an assault weapon may possess it only:
1. at his or her home, business place, other property he or she owns, or on
someone else’s property with the owner’s permission;
2. at a target range (a) of a public or private club or organization organized for
target shooting or (b) that holds a regulatory or business license for target
shooting;
3. at a licensed shooting club; O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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4. while attending a firearms exhibition, display, or educational project
sponsored by, conducted under the auspices of, or approved by a law
enforcement agency or nationally or state-recognized entity that fosters
proficiency in, or promotes education about, firearms; or
5. while transporting the weapon, in compliance with pertinent law, between
any of the above places, or to a licensed gun dealer for servicing or repair
(CGS § 53-202d(f)).
§ 27 — LARGE CAPACITY MAGAZINES (LCM)
Bifurcates the penalties for LCM possession violations based on a person’s eligibility to possess
firearms, making it a class D felony for those who are ineligible to possess firearms and a class A
misdemeanor for those who are eligible to do so; allows defendants to enter diversionary
programs
The act bifurcates the penalties for LCM possession violations based on a
person’s eligibility to possess firearms. It does so by making it a class D felony for
violators who are ineligible to possess firearms and a class A misdemeanor for those
who are eligible. Under prior law, regardless of a person’s eligibility to possess
firearms, it was a class D felony to possess an undeclared LCM, except it was an
infraction with a $90 fine for a first offense if the LCM was obtained before April
5, 2013.
Under existing law, the court may suspend prosecution for violations of this law
under specified circumstances. The act also authorizes the court to order any
diversionary programs available to the defendant. (PA 23-203, § 3, has a
substantially similar provision but includes an inadvertent cross reference for
suspended prosecution procedures.)
Existing law, unchanged by the act, allows (1) certain individuals, including
law enforcement, to possess, purchase, or import LCMs and (2) other individuals,
such as those who have declared possession, to possess LCMs.
By law, an LCM is any firearm magazine, belt, drum, feed strip, or similar
device that can hold, or can be readily restored or converted to accept, more than
10 rounds of ammunition. It excludes the following:
1. feeding devices permanently altered so that they cannot hold more than 10
rounds,
2. .22 caliber tube ammunition feeding devices,
3. tubular magazines contained in a lever-action firearm, and
4. permanently inoperable magazines.
§§ 28-32 — DISQUALIFYING OFFENSES
Expands the list of disqualifying offenses for possessing or carrying a firearm to include (1)
misdemeanor convictions for offenses designated as family violence crimes and (2) those
prohibited under federal law due to misdemeanor domestic violence convictions or being a
fugitive of justice; makes these offenses reasons for which someone may be guilty of certain
criminal firearm possession laws; increases, by one day, the two-year mandatory minimum prison
sentence for criminal possession of a firearm, ammunition, or electronic weapon and makes those
convicted of this crime eligible for special parole O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
Page 21 of 33
Existing law prohibits certain individuals with disqualifying offenses from
receiving credentials to possess or carry firearms. For long gun and handgun
eligibility certificates and handgun permits, the act prohibits the DESPP
commissioner from issuing these credentials if the person (1) has been convicted of
a misdemeanor of any law designated a family violence crime or (2) is prohibited
under federal law from shipping, transporting, possessing, or receiving a firearm
because he or she is a fugitive from justice or has been convicted of a misdemeanor
crime of domestic violence (see Background).
It also expands the crimes of criminal possession of a firearm, ammunition, or
an electronic defense weapon and criminal possession of a handgun to include
possession by such a person. The act includes family violence crimes committed
on or after October 1, 2023. Under prior law, criminal possession was a class C
felony with a two-year mandatory minimum prison sentence and a $5,000
minimum fine, which could not be remitted or reduced unless the court states on
the record its reasons for doing so. The act increases, by one day, the two-year
mandatory minimum prison sentence for criminal possession of a firearm,
ammunition, or electronic weapon. In doing so, it makes those convicted of this
crime eligible for special parole, which is a closer and more rigorous form of
supervision (CGS § 54-125e).
Background
Family Violence Crime. By law, a “family violence crime” is a crime, other
than a delinquent act, that involves an act of family violence to a family or
household member. It does not include acts by parents or guardians disciplining
minor children unless these acts constitute abuse (CGS § 46b-38a(3)).
Fugitive From Justice. Under federal law, a “fugitive from justice” is anyone
who has fled from any state to avoid prosecution for a crime or to avoid giving
testimony in any criminal proceeding (18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(15)).
Misdemeanor Crime of Domestic Violence. Under federal law, a “misdemeanor
crime of domestic violence” is an offense that (1) is a misdemeanor under federal,
state, or tribal law; (2) has, as an element, the use or attempted use of physical force
or the threatened use of a deadly weapon; and (3) was committed by someone with
a domestic relationship with the victim (e.g., former or current spouse), with certain
exceptions (18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(33)).
§§ 28-30 — ADDITIONAL EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
Specifies that firearm safety training requirements for long gun and handgun eligibility
certificates and handgun permits must be completed within two years before applying; requires
training courses to include instruction on state law requirements on safe firearm storage and
lawfully using firearms and carrying firearms in public
Under prior law, applicants for long gun and handgun eligibility certificates and
handgun permits must have successfully completed a DESPP-approved firearm
safety and use course. This could include (1) a publicly available course offered by
a local law enforcement agency, private or public educational institution, or O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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firearms training school, using instructors certified by the NRA or DEEP or (2) a
course conducted by an NRA or state-certified instructor.
For applications for these credentials filed on or after July 1, 2024, the act
instead requires applicants to complete, within two years before submitting their
applications, a DESPP-approved course on firearm safety and use, which may
include certified NRA courses or those offered by other organizations that are
conducted by a certified NRA instructor or the state. The course must include
instruction on state law’s requirements for safe storage of firearms at home and in
vehicles and lawful use of firearms and carrying them in public. The act specifies
that anyone holding a valid handgun permit before July 1, 2024, does not have to
do any additional training.
The act allows anyone who wants to provide the course for handgun permits to
apply to the commissioner as he prescribes. He must approve or deny the
application for the course by July 1, 2024, if the application was submitted by
October 1, 2023.
§ 33 — TRIGGER LOCKS
Expands existing law’s requirement that gun dealers, at the time of sale, give trigger locks and a
related written warning to handgun buyers by requiring gun dealers to do so for all firearm
buyers, not just handgun buyers; subjects violators to a fine of up to $500
By law, any gun dealer selling a handgun must give the purchaser a reusable
trigger lock, gun lock, or appropriate gun locking device at the time of sale. The act
expands this requirement to apply to all firearm sales, rather than just handguns.
As under existing law for handgun sales, under the act the gun dealer must equip
all firearms with the trigger lock at the time of sale. The device must (1) be made
of material strong enough to prevent it from being easily disabled and (2) have a
locking mechanism accessible by a key or other electronic or mechanical accessory
specific to the lock to prevent unauthorized removal. Dealers must also give the
buyers a specified written warning.
Under existing law and the act, violations are punishable by up to a $500 fine.
§ 34 — PROHIBITION ON CARRYING LOADED LO NG GUNS IN MOTOR
VEHICLES
Expands the prohibition on carrying or possessing loaded shotguns, rifles, or muzzleloaders in
motor vehicles to include all long guns
Prior law prohibited anyone from carrying or possessing a loaded shotgun, rifle,
or muzzleloader in any vehicle or snowmobile. The act explicitly applies this
prohibition to all long guns (i.e., firearms other than handguns).
As under existing law, this prohibition does not apply to servicemembers while
on duty or travelling to or from assignments, enforcement officers, security guards,
or other people employed to protect property while performing their duties. A
violation is a class D misdemeanor.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023 O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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§ 35 — BODY ARMOR
Requires those buying or receiving body armor to have certain gun-related credentials; expands
purchase exemptions to include judicial marshals, probation officers, federal firearms licensees,
and emergency medical service organization employees
Under prior law, “body armor” was any material designed to be worn on the
body and to provide bullet penetration resistance. The act instead defines it as any
item designed to provide bullet penetration resistance and to be worn on or under
clothing like a vest or other article of clothing.
Existing law generally requires the sale or delivery of body armor to be in
person. The act also requires a person who buys or receives body armor to have a
local gun dealer permit, handgun permit, eligibility certificate for handgun or long
gun, or ammunition certificate. The act extends the existing penalty for criminal
possession of body armor to the gun-related credential requirement, making it a
class B misdemeanor if a purchaser violates either requirement.
Existing law exempts from the in-person requirement certain law enforcement
officials, among others. The act also exempts these individuals from the act’s gun-
related credential requirement and expands the list to include judicial marshals,
probation officers, federal firearm licensees, and emergency medical service
organization employees (i.e., ambulance drivers, emergency medical technicians,
and paramedics).
As under existing law, it is a class A misdemeanor for anyone convicted of
specific felonies or a serious juvenile offense to possess body armor.
§§ 36-39 & 43-44 — SERIOUS FIREARM OFFENDER
Sets more stringent release conditions for serious firearm offenders; allows or requires
prosecutors to petition the court for bond amounts of up to 30% depending on prior convictions;
lowers the evidentiary threshold for courts to revoke a defendant’s release under certain
circumstances involving serious firearm offenses and requires revocation under these
circumstances; requires certain bail to be forfeited when the defendant commits a serious firearm
offense while on release; requires probation officers to seek arrests for certain serious firearm
offenders or offenses
The act imposes different conditions for release for serious firearm arrests
depending on whether the arrested person has prior convictions for certain crimes.
For offenders without these prior convictions, the act generally follows the same
release procedures as existing law for other offenses, while limiting those with these
prior convictions to be released only by posting bond.
Serious Firearm Offenses and Offenders
Under the act, a “serious firearm offense” is any of the following:
1. illegally possessing an LCM (CGS § 53-202w, as amended by the act);
2. possessing a stolen firearm or a firearm that is altered in a way that makes
it unlawful;
3. altering, removing, or defacing a firearm’s identification mark, serial O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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number, or name (CGS § 29-36);
4. manufacturing, possessing, or transferring a firearm without the unique
serial number or other identification mark (CGS § 29-36a, as amended by
the act);
5. knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence facilitating, aiding, or
abetting the manufacture of a firearm (a) by someone prohibited from
purchasing or possessing a firearm or (b) that a person is otherwise
prohibited from purchasing or possessing (CGS § 29-36a, as amended by
the act); or
6. any crime in which an essential element is that the person discharged, used,
or was armed with and threatened the use of a firearm.
A “serious firearm offender” is a person who has been convicted of a serious
firearm offense twice or was convicted of serious firearm offense and was
previously convicted of any of the following:
1. altering, removing, or defacing a firearm’s identification mark, serial
number, or name;
2. manufacturing, possessing, or transferring a firearm without an
identification serial number or mark;
3. knowingly, recklessly, or with criminal negligence facilitating, aiding, or
abetting the manufacture of a firearm as described above;
4. criminally possessing a firearm, ammunition, or electronic defense weapon
or handgun due to specified disqualifying offenses; or
5. committing two or more additional felony offenses.
Notification to Police
Existing law allows probation officers to notify the police if they have probable
cause to believe that a person on probation has violated his or her probation
conditions. The act requires the officers to notify the police if the person is a serious
firearm offender or is on probation for a felony conviction and has been arrested
for committing a serious firearm offense. As under existing law, this notice suffices
for the police to arrest the person and return him or her into the court’s custody.
Arrest Warrant
The act also requires a probation officer who has probable cause to believe that
a serious firearm offender on probation has violated a probation condition to apply
to any judge for a warrant to arrest the person for the probation condition or
conditional discharge violation. The officer must also apply for an arrest warrant if
he or she knows that a person on probation for a felony conviction has been arrested
for committing a serious firearm offense. As under existing law, the warrant
authorizes the officer to return the defendant into the court’s custody or to any
suitable detention facility.
Hearing Deadline
O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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Under existing law, when someone is arrested for violating the conditions of
probation or conditional discharge, the court generally must dispose of the charge
or schedule a hearing within 120 days after arraignment unless good cause is
shown. The act shortens this period to 60 days after arraignment if the defendant is
a serious firearm offender or has been arrested for a serious firearm offense while
on probation for a felony conviction.
Revocation of Probation or Conditional Discharge
The act requires the court to revoke the probation or conditional discharge if the
violation consists of committing a serious firearm offense or the defendant is a
serious firearm offender. In cases involving non-serious firearm offenses, existing
law gives the court discretion to revoke, continue, modify, or extend a sentence of
probation or conditional discharge if any of the conditions have been violated.
Bail
Under the act, bail release provisions must apply to any serious firearm offender
arrested and charged with a crime or any felony offender arrested for a serious
firearm offense. However, in applying the bail release laws, the act creates a
rebuttable presumption that a serious firearm offender poses a danger to the safety
of others.
Release Conditions for Persons Arrested for a Serious Firearm Offense Without
Certain Prior Convictions
The act imposes different conditions for release of arrested persons charged
with a serious firearm offense, depending on whether he or she has prior
convictions for certain crimes. For those without these prior convictions, the act
generally follows existing law’s release procedures except prosecutors may petition
the court to deem the person a serious risk to the safety of others. If the court grants
the petition, the person may be released only upon executing a bond of at least 30%.
Conditions of Release. Under the act, when an arrested person charged with
committing a serious firearm offense (other than a person with certain prior
convictions (see below)) is presented before the Superior Court in bailable offenses,
the court must promptly order the person’s release with one of four specified
conditions (i.e., written promise to appear without special conditions or with non-
financial conditions or bond with or without surety in no greater amount than
necessary). (This is also the case under existing law for other arrests.) For an
arrestee charged with a non-serious firearm offense, existing law requires the court
to consider which of the conditions of release are sufficient to reasonably assure the
arrested person’s appearance in court. For an arrestee charged with a serious firearm
offense, the act requires the court to also consider which conditions will ensure that
the person will not endanger the safety of others.
Petition. The act allows the prosecutor to (1) petition the court to deem the
arrested person a serious risk to the safety of others and (2) present any information O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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developed by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies during a criminal
investigation or enforcement action, including social media posts, pictures, or
videos threatening violence, claiming responsibility for violence, or suggesting
firearm possession.
Bond Amount. If the court finds that the arrested person is a serious risk to the
safety of others, the arrestee may only be released upon the execution of a bond
with at least 30% of any bond amount deposited directly with the court.
Drug Testing and Treatment. As under existing law, when the court has reason
to believe that the arrested person is drug-dependent, and where necessary,
reasonable, and appropriate, it may order the person to submit to a urinalysis drug
test and to participate in a periodic drug testing and treatment program. The result
of the drug test is inadmissible in any criminal proceeding concerning the person.
Release Condition Factors. Under the act, in determining what release
conditions will reasonably ensure the arrested person’s appearance in court and
others’ safety, the court may generally consider the same factors as existing law
allows for certain felony arrests. This includes the (1) number and seriousness of
pending charges, (2) weight of the evidence, (3) person’s history of violence, (4)
person’s previous convictions for similar offenses while released on bond, and (5)
likelihood based on the person’s expressed intentions that he or she will commit
another crime while on release.
As under existing law for releases for certain felony arrests, the act requires the
court, when imposing conditions of release, to state for the record any of the factors
that it considered and the findings it made as to the danger, if any, that the arrested
person might pose to the safety of others upon release.
Nonfinancial Condition of Release. The act allows the court to impose
nonfinancial conditions of release for serious firearm offenders without certain
prior convictions under the same conditions as existing law allows for other
offenders. Specifically, the court must order the least restrictive condition or
conditions needed to reasonably ensure the person’s appearance in court and others’
safety. The conditions may include supervision by a designated person or
organization, travel or living accommodation restrictions, and electronic
monitoring, among others.
As under existing law for release conditions for persons arrested for non-serious
firearm offenses, the court (1) must state on the record its reasons for imposing any
nonfinancial condition and (2) may require a person who is subject to electronic
monitoring as a release condition to pay the cost of the monitoring.
Release Conditions for Persons Arrested for a Serious Firearm Offense With
Certain Prior Convictions
The act sets more stringent release conditions for persons arrested for a serious
firearm offense who have certain prior convictions. Defendants may only be
released on bond in an amount needed to reasonably assure the person’s appearance
in court and others’ safety.
The act also (1) requires a prosecutor to petition for the arrested person to
deposit at least 30% of the bond amount directly with the court and (2) establishes O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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a rebuttable presumption that others’ safety will be endangered unless the petition
is granted. As under the act’s provisions for serious firearm offenders without prior
convictions, the court may order the person to submit to a urinalysis drug test and
participate in a drug testing and treatment program under the same circumstances
and procedures described above.
These release conditions apply to those arrested for a serious firearm offense
who (1) are serious firearm offenders or (2) have two or more convictions during
the five-year period immediately before the current arrest for (a) illegally
manufacturing, distributing, selling, prescribing, or dispensing certain illegal
substances (CGS §§ 21a-277 & -278) or (b) 1st or 2nd degree larceny (CGS §§ 53a-
122 & -123).
These release conditions also apply to those with (1) two prior convictions for
the violations shown in the table below or (2) a prior conviction of a violation listed
below and a previous conviction of carrying a handgun without a permit, carrying
a firearm with intent to display, or failing to present a permit to a law enforcement
officer who has reasonable suspicion of a crime (CGS § 29-35, as amended by the
act).
Prior Convictions Resulting in More Stringent Release Conditions
Statute Offense
CGS § 29-36 Altering, removing, or defacing firearm serial number
CGS § 29-36a, as
amended by the act
Manufacturing or transferring a “ghost gun” or possessing
one without declaring it or applying for serial number
CGS § 53-202 Possessing or using a machine gun or transferring one to
someone under age 16
CGS § 53-202a, as
amended by the act
Assault weapons (definitions only)
CGS § 53-202b Selling or transferring an assault weapon
CGS § 53-202c Possessing an assault weapon
CGS § 53-202w, as
amended by the act
Possessing, purchasing, selling, or importing large capacity
magazines
CGS § 53-202aa Trafficking firearms
CGS § 53-206i Manufacturing a firearm from certain plastic
CGS § 53a-54a Murder
CGS § 53a-54b Murder with special circumstances
CGS § 53a-54c Felony murder
CGS § 53a-54d Arson murder
CGS §§ 53a-55 & -56 1st and 2nd degree manslaughter
CGS §§ 53a-55a & -56a 1st and 2nd degree manslaughter with a firearm
CGS §§ 53a-59 & -60 1st and 2nd degree assault O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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Statute Offense
CGS § 53a-60a 2nd degree assault with a firearm
CGS § 53a-134 1st degree robbery
CGS § 53a-212 Stealing a firearm
CGS § 53a-216 Criminal use of a firearm or electronic defense weapon
CGS § 53a-217, as
amended by the act
Criminal possession of a firearm, ammunition, or electronic
defense weapon
CGS § 53a-217b Possessing a weapon on school grounds
CGS § 53a-217c, as
amended by the act
Criminal possession of a handgun
Not Released. As under existing law, if an arrested person is not released, the
court must order the person committed to DOC custody until he or she is released
or discharged under the law.
Revocation of Release
The act (1) lowers the evidentiary threshold for courts to revoke a defendant’s
release if he or she is a serious firearm offender or released under the offenses listed
in the table above and (2) makes the revocation mandatory upon certain findings
after an evidentiary hearing.
By law with certain exceptions, the court may impose new or additional
conditions on a defendant’s release if it finds by clear and convincing evidence that
he or she violated the release conditions. For offenses where a prison term of 10 or
more years may be imposed, existing law allows the court to revoke the defendant’s
release if (1) it finds by clear and convincing evidence that others’ safety is
endangered by his or her release and (2) there is probable cause to believe he or she
committed a federal, state, or local crime while on release. There is a rebuttable
presumption that these defendants’ release should be revoked. The act extends these
provisions to defendants who are serious firearm offenders or on release for a
serious firearm offense charge except as described below.
If the defendant is (1) a serious firearm offender and is on release for any
offense or (2) on release for one of the offenses listed in the table above, the court
must revoke the release if it finds by the preponderance of the evidence that there
is probable cause to believe that the defendant committed a serious firearm offense
while on release. As under existing release revocation law, the court must first hold
an evidentiary hearing where hearsay or secondary evidence is admissible.
As under existing law, the revocation of a defendant’s release causes any bond
posted in a criminal proceeding to be automatically terminated and the surety to be
released.
Bond Forfeiture
Under the act, the bond posted in the criminal proceeding for any offense for O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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which the defendant was on pretrial release is forfeited if the defendant (1) commits
a serious firearm offense while on release and (2) is subsequently convicted of any
offense for which he or she was released and for the serious firearm offense
committed while on release.
§ 40 — RETURN TO CUSTODY
Requires the DOC commissioner to request that a parolee be returned to custody without a written
warrant if he or she is (1) a serious firearm offender arrested while on parole for a felony offense
or (2) arrested for a serious firearm offense
Under existing law, the DOC commissioner or an officer he designates, or the
Board of Pardons and Paroles or its chairperson, may authorize and require a DOC
officer or other officer authorized to serve process to arrest, hold, and return a
parolee into custody without a written warrant. The act requires the commissioner
to do this if the parolee is (1) a serious firearm offender arrested while on parole for
a felony offense or (2) arrested for a serious firearm offense.
§ 41 — FIREARMS-RELATED CRIME DOCKET
Requires the chief court administrator to establish firearm-related crime dockets in certain courts
The act requires the chief court administrator, by December 31, 2023, to
establish a firearm-related crime docket to serve the geographical area courts in
Fairfield, Hartford, New Haven, and Waterbury. She must establish policies and
procedures to implement this docket.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
§ 42 — EMERGENCY PETITION
Authorizes a police officer or prosecutor, when aware that someone released on parole or
probation is a threat to public safety, to file an emergency petition to take specified steps
The act allows any sworn peace officer of a law enforcement agency or any
prosecutorial official who is aware of a parolee or person on probation who poses
a serious threat to public safety to file an emergency petition with the probation or
parole office’s supervisory staff, as applicable, and a copy with the Chief State’s
Attorney’s office. The emergency petition must include the risk factors pointing to
the person as a serious public safety threat and may present any information
developed by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in a criminal
investigation or enforcement action. This information may include social media
posts, pictures, or videos threatening violence, claiming responsibility for violence,
or suggesting firearm possession.
Within 48 hours after receiving the petition, the applicable supervisory staff
must seek a warrant for the probation violator or provide the reason for not doing
so. O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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§ 45 — PENALTY FOR FAILING TO REPORT LOST OR STOLEN FIREARM
OR ASSAULT WEAPON
Increases the penalty for a first offense of failing to report the loss or theft of a firearm or assault
weapon from an infraction to a class A misdemeanor
Under existing law, a person who lawfully possess an assault weapon or firearm
that has been lost or stolen must report it to the relevant law enforcement agency
within 72 hours after he or she discovered or should have discovered the loss or
theft. The act increases the penalty for a first-time, unintentional failure to do so
from an infraction with a fine of up to $90 to a class A misdemeanor.
Under existing law, unchanged by the act, a subsequent unintentional failure is
a class C felony; an intentional failure to report is a class B felony. By law, a first-
time violator does not lose the right to possess a gun permit.
§ 46 — HANDGUN CARRY PERMIT
Requires the DESPP commissioner to decide on a handgun permit application when the applicant
presents an affidavit that the local authority failed to expressly deny or approve a temporary state
permit application within a specified period; requires the local authority or DESPP to give a
detailed, written reason for denying an application
Handgun Permit Application Process
By law, handgun permits are issued under a two-part process, requiring
approval from both the local authority (e.g., the police chief) and DESPP. The local
official investigates applicants using a background check, among other things, and
issues a temporary state permit; the State Police conducts state and national
criminal history record checks on the applicants and issues a five-year state permit.
Existing law requires the local authority to make its decision within eight weeks.
The act requires the local authority, if denying the application, to give the applicant
a detailed, written reason for doing so.
Affidavit. The act allows an applicant to submit an affidavit to the DESPP
commissioner attesting that a local authority failed to expressly deny his or her
application or issue a temporary state permit within eight weeks after its
submission. The applicant may submit the affidavit to DESPP instead of a
temporary state permit following a specified waiting period after applying to the
local authority. The applicant must wait at least (1) 32 weeks for applications filed
by March 30, 2024, and (2) 16 weeks for applications filed on or after April 1, 2024.
The commissioner must accept the affidavit and notify the local authority
immediately after receiving it.
As under existing law for applications approved by local authorities, DESPP
must make its decision on the affidavit (or inform the applicant that the department
is still waiting for the national criminal background check results) within eight
weeks after receiving the affidavit.
Additionally, the act specifies that a local authority’s failure to complete its
review of the temporary permit application is not grounds for the commissioner to O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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deny the state permit. It also requires DESPP to include details in its written state
permit approval or denial.
Exception for Major Disasters and Declared Emergencies
The act creates an exception to its gun permit issuance provisions during a
major disaster, presidential emergency declaration, or gubernatorial emergency
declaration due to any disease epidemic, public health emergency, or natural
disaster impacting a local authority. Under these circumstances, the DESPP
commissioner must not accept any affidavit until 32 weeks after the application
date.
§ 47 — MASS SHOOTING EVENT RESPONSE
Requires DESPP’s civil preparedness plan to include a response plan for a mass shooting event;
requires the DESPP commissioner to coordinate with the (1) DPH commissioner to deploy grief
counselors and mental health professionals to help family members or other people closely
connected to mass shooting victims and (2) chief state’s attorney to report on mass shooting
investigations
The act requires DESPP’s civil preparedness plan to include a response plan for
a mass shooting event (i.e., a shooting of four or more people within a three-mile
radius within 24 hours). The response plan must include coordination between
certain parties to determine, among other things, what led to the shooting. This
group must report to the DESPP commissioner, who must then report to the
governor and certain legislators.
The act also requires, as part of the response to a mass shooting, the DESPP
commissioner to coordinate with the (1) public health commissioner to deploy grief
counselors and mental health professionals to help family members or other people
closely connected to the victims and (2) chief state’s attorney to coordinate and
report on an investigation of each mass shooting event.
EFFECTIVE DATE: Upon passage
Response Plan
By law, the DESPP commissioner must oversee the development of the state’s
civil preparedness plan and program (i.e., the State Response Framework), which
is subject to the governor’s approval. The act requires the plan and program to
include a mass shooting event response plan.
The act requires the commissioner, as part of any response plan for a mass
shooting, to include provisions for coordinating a meeting with DESPP; local
police; community leaders, including religious leaders; and representatives from
the Project Longevity Initiative (a comprehensive, community-based initiative to
reduce gun violence that operates in Bridgeport, Hartford, New Haven, and
Waterbury).
The meeting’s purpose is to determine (1) why the mass shooting occurred and
what circumstances led to it, (2) whether there were warning signs that it would O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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occur, (3) steps the community can take to prevent further mass shootings, and (4)
whether there are available resources to help the community respond to it.
The act also requires the meeting participants to report their findings to the
DESPP commissioner. The commissioner must review and report the findings, and
any other information he deems pertinent, to the governor, House and Senate
majority and minority leaders, and Public Safety and Security Committee. The
report must include any recommendations for legislative action to reduce mass
shooting events.
Grief Counselors and Mental Health Professionals
The act requires the DESPP commissioner to coordinate with the public health
commissioner to deploy grief counselors and mental health professionals to provide
mental health services after mass shooting events for the victims’ family members
or other people closely associated with the victims. These counselors and
professionals must be deployed to (1) local community outreach groups in and
around the impacted area and (2) any school or higher education institution where
any of the shooting’s victims or perpetrators were enrolled.
Shooting Investigation
The act requires the DESPP commissioner to coordinate with the chief state’s
attorney’s office to investigate each mass shooting event. The investigation must
consider the following:
1. how the perpetrator acquired any firearm used in the shooting;
2. whether those firearms were acquired legally;
3. whether a large capacity magazine was used (state law generally bans the
possession or sale of these magazines, which hold more than 10 rounds of
ammunition); and
4. the perpetrator’s and victims’ backgrounds.
For each investigation, the commissioner and chief state’s attorney must report
(1) its summary and findings, including any determination of what caused the mass
shooting, and (2) any recommendations to prevent future mass shootings. They
must report to the governor, the House and Senate majority and minority leaders,
the Public Safety and Security Committee, and the chief elected official and
legislative body of the municipality where the shooting occurred.
§ 48 — POLICE NOTICE OF FIREARM RIGHTS AND RISK PROTECTION
ORDER APPLICATION PROCESS
Requires law enforcement units to post public notices informing people about (1) various firearm-
related rights, including specified information about the permit process and the right to own,
possess, and carry firearms and (2) the risk protection order application process
The act requires the administrative head of each law enforcement unit to ensure
that all police stations, headquarters, or barracks under its jurisdiction post certain
information about firearm-related rights in a conspicuous place that is readily O L R P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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available for public view. Specifically, he or she must post a statement informing
people about the following rights:
1. to request and get an application for a handgun carry permit;
2. to submit the application no later than one week after their request to do so;
3. to be informed in writing, within eight weeks after applying, of the decision
on the application;
4. to file an appeal if the application is denied; and
5. their state and federal constitutional right to own, possess, and carry a
firearm to protect their home or family as they so lawfully choose.
In the same way, he or she must post a statement informing people about the
application process for a risk protection order, including the process for a family
member or medical professional to apply.
Under the act, as under existing law, an “administrative head of each law
enforcement unit” includes the DESPP commissioner, board of police
commissioners, police chief or superintendent, or other authority in charge of a law
enforcement unit (CGS § 7-291e).