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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 6816
January Session, 2023
LCO No. 5081
Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY
Introduced by:
(JUD)
AN ACT CONCERNING MICROSTAMPING -ENABLED PISTOLS,
RAISING THE AGE TO PURCHASE AMMUNITION AND RESTRICTING
THE SALE AND POSSESSION OF BODY ARMOR.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective from passage) As used in this section and 1
sections 2 and 3 of this act: 2
(1) "Microstamp" means a unique alphanumeric or geometric code 3
that identifies the make, model and serial number of a firearm; 4
(2) "Microstamping component" means a component part of a 5
semiautomatic pistol that will produce a microstamp on at least one 6
location of the expended cartridge case each time the pistol is fired; and 7
(3) "Microstamping-enabled pistol" means a semiautomatic pistol 8
that contains a microstamping component. 9
Sec. 2. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) Not later than one hundred 10
eighty days after the effective date of this section, the Commissioner of 11
Emergency Services and Public Protection or the commissioner's 12 Raised Bill No. 6816
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designee shall complete an investigation of the technological viability of 13
microstamping-enabled pistols. Such investigation shall include, but 14
not be limited to, the use of live-fire testing evidence. Immediately after 15
the conclusion of such investigation, the commissioner or the 16
commissioner's designee shall certify the technology of microstamping-17
enabled pistols, or, if the commissioner or the commissioner's designee 18
finds such technology is not viable, the commissioner or the 19
commissioner's designee may decline to certify such technology. The 20
commissioner or the commissioner's designee shall post a notice of any 21
such certification or declination to certify on the Department of 22
Emergency Services and Public Protection's Internet web site. 23
(b) Following certification pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, 24
if applicable, the commissioner or the commissioner's designee shall: (1) 25
Not later than one year following such certification, establish 26
performance standards, qualifying criteria and testing protocols 27
applicable to the examination and verification of microstamping-28
enabled pistols and microstamping components; and (2) not later than 29
two years following such certification, (A) establish and implement 30
verification processes for microstamping-enabled pistols and 31
microstamping components, (B) establish processes and standards for 32
the training and licensure of persons, associations, partnerships, 33
corporations or other entities for the purpose of engaging in the business 34
of servicing semiautomatic pistols and their components to ensure 35
compliance with the requirements of this section, and (C) establish a 36
division within the Division of State Police to service semiautomatic 37
pistols and their components to ensure compliance with the 38
requirements of this section. 39
(c) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 40
shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 41
of the general statutes to carry out the provisions of this section. 42
Sec. 3. (NEW) (Effective four years after notice of certification is posted on 43
the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection's Internet web 44
site pursuant to subsection (a) of section 2 of this act, or one year after the first 45 Raised Bill No. 6816
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person, association, partnership, corporation or other entity is licensed in 46
accordance with standards developed pursuant to subparagraph (B) of 47
subdivision (2) of subsection (b) of section 2 of this act, whichever is earlier) (a) 48
No licensed gun dealer, as defined in subsection (f) of section 53-202f of 49
the general statutes, shall sell, offer for sale, exchange, give, transfer or 50
deliver any semiautomatic pistol unless such pistol has been verified as 51
a microstamping-enabled pistol. A pistol may be verified as a 52
microstamping-enabled pistol if it contains a microstamping component 53
installed by the manufacturer of such pistol or by a person, association, 54
partnership, corporation or other entity licensed in accordance with 55
standards developed pursuant to subparagraph (B) of subdivision (2) of 56
subsection (b) of section 2 of this act. The provisions of this subsection 57
shall not apply to a pistol manufactured prior to the effective date of this 58
section. 59
(b) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 60
or the commissioner's designee shall post on the Department of 61
Emergency Services and Public Protection's Internet web site the 62
effective date of this section at least one year prior to such effective date. 63
Sec. 4. Subsection (b) of section 29-38m of the general statutes is 64
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 65
passage): 66
(b) No person, firm or corporation shall sell ammunition or an 67
ammunition magazine to any person under [eighteen] twenty-one years 68
of age. 69
Sec. 5. Subsection (a) of section 29-38n of the general statutes is 70
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 71
passage): 72
(a) Any person who is [eighteen] twenty-one years of age or older 73
may request the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public 74
Protection to (1) conduct a state criminal history records check of such 75
person, in accordance with the provisions of section 29-17a, using such 76
person's name and date of birth only, and (2) issue an ammunition 77 Raised Bill No. 6816
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certificate to such person in accordance with the provisions of this 78
section. 79
Sec. 6. Section 53-341b of the general statutes is repealed and the 80
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2023): 81
(a) No person, firm or corporation shall sell or deliver body armor to 82
another person. [unless the transferee meets in person with the 83
transferor to accomplish the sale or delivery.] 84
(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to 85
the sale or delivery of body armor to (1) a sworn member or authorized 86
official of an organized local police department, the Division of State 87
Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public 88
Protection, the Division of Criminal Justice, the Department of 89
Correction, the Board of Pardons and Paroles or the Department of 90
Motor Vehicles, (2) an authorized official of a municipality or the 91
Department of Administrative Services that purchases body armor on 92
behalf of an organized local police department, the Division of State 93
Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public 94
Protection, the Division of Criminal Justice, the Department of 95
Correction, the Board of Pardons and Paroles or the Department of 96
Motor Vehicles, (3) an authorized official of the Judicial Branch who 97
purchases body armor on behalf of a probation officer or a judicial 98
marshal, or (4) a member of the National Guard or the armed forces 99
reserve. 100
(c) As used in this section, "body armor" means any material designed 101
to be worn on the body and to provide bullet penetration resistance. 102
(d) Any person, firm or corporation that violates the provisions of this 103
section shall be guilty of a class B misdemeanor. 104
Sec. 7. Section 53a-217d of the general statutes is repealed and the 105
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2023): 106
(a) A person is guilty of criminal possession of body armor when he 107 Raised Bill No. 6816
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possesses body armor. [and has been (1) convicted of a capital felony 108
under the provisions of section 53a-54b in effect prior to April 25, 2012, 109
a class A felony, except a conviction under section 53a-196a, a class B 110
felony, except a conviction under section 53a-86, 53a-122 or 53a-196b, a 111
class C felony, except a conviction under section 53a-87, 53a-152 or 53a-112
153 or a class D felony under sections 53a-60 to 53a-60c, inclusive, 53a-113
72a, 53a-72b, 53a-95, 53a-103, 53a-103a, 53a-114, 53a-136 or 53a-216, or 114
(2) convicted as delinquent for the commission of a serious juvenile 115
offense, as defined in section 46b-120.] 116
(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to 117
the possession of body armor by (1) a sworn member or authorized 118
official of an organized local police department, the Division of State 119
Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public 120
Protection, the Division of Criminal Justice, the Department of 121
Correction, the Board of Pardons and Paroles or the Department of 122
Motor Vehicles, (2) an authorized official of a municipality or the 123
Department of Administrative Services that possesses body armor on 124
behalf of an organized local police department, the Division of State 125
Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public 126
Protection, the Division of Criminal Justice, the Department of 127
Correction, the Board of Pardons and Paroles or the Department of 128
Motor Vehicles, (3) an authorized official of the Judicial Branch who 129
possesses body armor on behalf of a probation officer or a judicial 130
marshal, or (4) a member of the National Guard or the armed forces 131
reserve. 132
[(b)] (c) For the purposes of this section, "body armor" means any 133
material designed to be worn on the body and to provide bullet 134
penetration resistance and "convicted" means having a judgment of 135
conviction entered by a court of competent jurisdiction. 136
[(c)] (d) Criminal possession of body armor is a class A misdemeanor. 137
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
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Section 1 from passage New section
Sec. 2 from passage New section
Sec. 3 four years after notice of
certification is posted on
the Department of
Emergency Services and
Public Protection's
Internet web site pursuant
to subsection (a of section 2
of this act, or one year after
the first person,
association, partnership,
corporation or other entity
is licensed in accordance
with standards developed
pursuant to subparagraph
(B of subdivision (2 of
subsection (b of section 2 of
this act, whichever is
earlier
New section
Sec. 4 from passage 29-38m(b)
Sec. 5 from passage 29-38n(a)
Sec. 6 October 1, 2023 53-341b
Sec. 7 October 1, 2023 53a-217d
Statement of Purpose:
To require an investigation of the technological viability of and possible
requirements concerning microstamping-enabled pistols, raise the age
to purchase ammunition and restrict the sale and possession of body
armor.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except
that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not
underlined.]