Researcher: RP Page 1 4/3/23
OLR Bill Analysis
sHB 6839
AN ACT CONCERNING TEMPORARY STATE PERMITS TO CARRY
A PISTOL OR REVOLVER ISSUED BY TRIBAL POLICE
DEPARTMENTS.
SUMMARY
Under PA 22-102, the police chiefs of the state’s federally recognized
Native American tribes with a law enforcement unit (i.e., the Mohegan
and Mashantucket Pequot police chiefs) may issue temporary state
handgun permits under the statutory permit approval process to
applicants who are bona fide permanent residents of the tribal
reservations. This bill makes numerous conforming changes throughout
the firearm permitting statutes to extend the statutory permit approval
process to these police chiefs, including provisions on the following:
1. supplying permit application forms;
2. notifying applicants of their permit’s approval or denial within
specified timeframes;
3. requiring applicants submit to fingerprinting, positive
identification procedures, and state and national criminal history
records checks; and
4. denying permits if they have reason to believe that (a) the
applicant has ever been convicted of a felony or (b) any other
condition exists for which issuing a handgun permit is prohibited
under state or federal law.
(However, the bill does not make similar conforming changes to
certain other provisions, including those on handgun permit fees.)
PA 22-102 also authorizes the chief executive officer (CEO) of any
municipality (i.e., town, city, consolidated town and city, borough, or 2023HB-06839-R000368-BA.DOCX
Researcher: RP Page 2 4/3/23
consolidated town and borough) without a police chief to perform
various firearms permitting and administrative functions or designate
the resident state trooper or relevant state police officer to do so. (Under
prior law, only a town’s first selectman or borough’s warden were
authorized to perform these functions.) The bill defines a municipal
CEO for these purposes as the (1) first selectman; (2) chief administrative
officer appointed by the board of selectmen or mayor; (3) mayor; (4)
borough warden; or (5) appointed town, city, or borough manager (CGS
§ 7-193).
The bill also repeals a provision under current law allowing the
handgun permit issuing authority to forgo taking an applicant’s
fingerprints if (1) they determine that the applicant’s fingerprints were
already taken and (2) the applicant presents identification that they
determine is valid.
Lastly, the bill makes technical changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2023
BACKGROUND
Related Bill
SB 967, favorably reported by the Public Safety and Security
Committee, repeals the same provision allowing permit issuing
authority to forgo taking an applicant’s fingerprints under certain
circumstances.
COMMITTEE ACTION
Public Safety and Security Committee
Joint Favorable Substitute
Yea 25 Nay 0 (03/16/2023)