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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7137
January Session, 2025
LCO No. 5782
Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY
Introduced by:
(JUD)
AN ACT CONCERNING A CONVICTION IN ANOTHER JURISDICTION
AS A DISQUALIFIER FOR A CARRY PERMIT OR FIREARMS
ELIGIBILITY OR AMMUNITION CERTIFICATE AND CONCERNING A
MERCHANT CATEGORY CODE FOR FIREARMS OR AMMUNITION
RETAILERS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (b) of section 29-28 of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 2
1, 2025): 3
(b) Upon the application of any person having a bona fide permanent 4
residence within the jurisdiction of any such authority, such chief of 5
police or, where there is no chief of police, such chief executive officer, 6
as defined in section 7-193, or, if designated by such chief executive 7
officer, a resident state trooper or state police officer, as applicable, may 8
issue a temporary state permit to such person to carry a pistol or 9
revolver within the state, provided such authority shall find that such 10
applicant intends to make no use of any pistol or revolver which such 11
applicant may be permitted to carry under such permit other than a 12
lawful use and that such person is a suitable person to receive such 13
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permit. Such applicant shall submit to a state and national criminal 14
history records check in accordance with section 29-17a. If the applicant 15
has a bona fide permanent residence within the jurisdiction of any 16
federally recognized Native American tribe within the borders of the 17
state, and such tribe has a law enforcement unit, as defined in section 7-18
294a, the chief of police of such law enforcement unit may issue a 19
temporary state permit to such person pursuant to the provisions of this 20
subsection, and any chief of police of any other law enforcement unit 21
having jurisdiction over an area containing such person's bona fide 22
permanent residence shall not issue such temporary state permit if such 23
tribal law enforcement unit accepts applications for temporary state 24
permits. Such applicant shall submit to a state and national criminal 25
history records check in accordance with section 29-17a. No state or 26
temporary state permit to carry a pistol or revolver shall be issued under 27
this subsection if the applicant: (1) (A) For any application filed prior to 28
July 1, 2024, has failed to successfully complete a course approved by 29
the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection in the 30
safety and use of pistols and revolvers including, but not limited to, a 31
safety or training course in the use of pistols and revolvers available to 32
the public offered by a law enforcement agency, a private or public 33
educational institution or a firearms training school, utilizing instructors 34
certified by the National Rifle Association or the Department of Energy 35
and Environmental Protection and a safety or training course in the use 36
of pistols or revolvers conducted by an instructor certified by the state 37
or the National Rifle Association, and (B) for any application filed on or 38
after July 1, 2024, has failed to successfully complete, not earlier than 39
two years prior to the submission of such application, a course approved 40
by the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection in 41
the safety and use of firearms, which courses may include those certified 42
by the National Rifle Association or other organizations, conducted by 43
an instructor certified by the National Rifle Association or by the state, 44
provided any such course includes instruction in state law requirements 45
pertaining to safe storage in the home and in vehicles, lawful use of 46
firearms and lawful carrying of firearms in public. Any person wishing 47
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to provide such course, may apply in the form and manner prescribed 48
by the commissioner. The commissioner shall approve or deny any 49
application for provision of such a course not later than July 1, 2024, in 50
the case of an application submitted before October 1, 2023; (2) has been 51
convicted of (A) a felony, or (B) (i) a misdemeanor violation of section 52
21a-279 on or after October 1, 2015, [or (C)] (ii) a misdemeanor violation 53
of section 53a-58, 53a-61, 53a-61a, 53a-62, 53a-63, 53a-96, 53a-175, 53a-54
176, 53a-178 or 53a-181d during the preceding twenty years, [or] (iii) a 55
misdemeanor violation of any law of this state that has been designated 56
as a family violence crime pursuant to section 46b-38h, or (iv) a 57
misdemeanor violation in any other state, a federal, tribal or military 58
court or any foreign jurisdiction for which the essential elements of the 59
crime are substantially the same as any of the crimes specified in this 60
subparagraph; (3) has been convicted as delinquent for the commission 61
of a serious juvenile offense, as defined in section 46b-120, or for the 62
commission of a juvenile offense in any other state, a federal, tribal or 63
military court or any foreign jurisdiction for which the essential 64
elements of the crime are substantially the same as for a serious juvenile 65
offense; (4) has been discharged from custody within the preceding 66
twenty years after having been found not guilty of a crime by reason of 67
mental disease or defect pursuant to section 53a-13; (5) (A) has been 68
confined in a hospital for persons with psychiatric disabilities, as 69
defined in section 17a-495, within the preceding sixty months by order 70
of a probate court, or (B) has been voluntarily admitted on or after 71
October 1, 2013, or has been committed under an emergency certificate 72
pursuant to section 17a-502 on or after October 1, 2023, to a hospital for 73
persons with psychiatric disabilities, as defined in section 17a-495, 74
within the preceding six months for care and treatment of a psychiatric 75
disability and not solely for being an alcohol-dependent person or a 76
drug-dependent person, as those terms are defined in section 17a-680; 77
(6) is subject to a restraining or protective order issued by a court in a 78
case involving the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force 79
against another person, including an ex parte order issued pursuant to 80
section 46b-15 or 46b-16a; (7) is subject to a firearms seizure order issued 81
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prior to June 1, 2022, pursuant to section 29-38c after notice and hearing, 82
or a risk protection order or risk protection investigation order issued 83
on or after June 1, 2022, pursuant to section 29-38c; (8) is prohibited from 84
shipping, transporting, possessing or receiving a firearm pursuant to 18 85
USC 922(g)(2), (g)(4) or (g)(9); (9) is an alien illegally or unlawfully in 86
the United States; or (10) is less than twenty-one years of age. Nothing 87
in this section shall require any person who holds a valid permit to carry 88
a pistol or revolver on July 1, 2024, to participate in any additional 89
training in the safety and use of pistols and revolvers. No person may 90
apply for a temporary state permit to carry a pistol or revolver more 91
than once within any twelve-month period, and no temporary state 92
permit to carry a pistol or revolver shall be issued to any person who 93
has applied for such permit more than once within the preceding twelve 94
months. Any person who applies for a temporary state permit to carry 95
a pistol or revolver shall indicate in writing on the application, under 96
penalty of false statement in such manner as the issuing authority 97
prescribes, that such person has not applied for a temporary state permit 98
to carry a pistol or revolver within the past twelve months. Upon 99
issuance of a temporary state permit to carry a pistol or revolver to the 100
applicant, the local authority, or the chief of police of a law enforcement 101
unit of any federally recognized Native American tribe within the 102
borders of the state as referenced in this subsection, shall forward the 103
original application to the commissioner. Not later than sixty days after 104
receiving a temporary state permit, an applicant shall appear at a 105
location designated by the commissioner to receive the state permit. The 106
commissioner may then issue, to any holder of any temporary state 107
permit, a state permit to carry a pistol or revolver within the state. Upon 108
issuance of the state permit, the commissioner shall make available to 109
the permit holder a copy of the law regarding the permit holder's 110
responsibility to report the loss or theft of a firearm and the penalties 111
associated with the failure to comply with such law. Upon issuance of 112
the state permit, the commissioner shall forward a record of such permit 113
to the local authority, or the chief of police of a law enforcement unit of 114
any federally recognized Native American tribe within the borders of 115
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the state as referenced in this subsection, issuing the temporary state 116
permit. The commissioner shall retain records of all applications, 117
whether approved or denied. The copy of the state permit delivered to 118
the permittee shall be laminated and shall contain a full-face photograph 119
of such permittee. A person holding a state permit issued pursuant to 120
this subsection shall notify the issuing authority within two business 121
days of any change of such person's address. The notification shall 122
include the old address and the new address of such person. 123
Sec. 2. Section 29-36f of the general statutes is repealed and the 124
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 125
(a) Any person who is twenty-one years of age or older may apply to 126
the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection for an 127
eligibility certificate for a pistol or revolver. 128
(b) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 129
shall issue an eligibility certificate unless said commissioner finds that 130
the applicant: (1) (A) For any application filed prior to July 1, 2024, has 131
failed to successfully complete a course approved by the Commissioner 132
of Emergency Services and Public Protection in the safety and use of 133
pistols and revolvers including, but not limited to, a safety or training 134
course in the use of pistols and revolvers available to the public offered 135
by a law enforcement agency, a private or public educational institution 136
or a firearms training school, utilizing instructors certified by the 137
National Rifle Association or the Department of Energy and 138
Environmental Protection and a safety or training course in the use of 139
pistols or revolvers conducted by an instructor certified by the state or 140
the National Rifle Association, or (B) for any application filed on or after 141
July 1, 2024, has failed to successfully complete, not earlier than two 142
years prior to the submission of such application, a course approved by 143
the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection in the 144
safety and use of firearms, which courses may include those certified by 145
the National Rifle Association or other organizations, conducted by an 146
instructor certified by the National Rifle Association or by the state, 147
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provided any such course includes instruction in state law requirements 148
pertaining to safe storage in the home and in vehicles, lawful use of 149
firearms and lawful carrying of firearms in public; (2) has been 150
convicted of (A) a felony, or (B) (i) a misdemeanor violation of section 151
21a-279 on or after October 1, 2015, [(C)] (ii) a misdemeanor violation of 152
section 53a-58, 53a-61, 53a-61a, 53a-62, 53a-63, 53a-96, 53a-175, 53a-176, 153
53a-178 or 53a-181d during the preceding twenty years, [or (D)] (iii) a 154
misdemeanor violation of any law of this state that has been designated 155
as a family violence crime pursuant to section 46b-38h, or (iv) a 156
misdemeanor violation in any other state, a federal, tribal or military 157
court or any foreign jurisdiction for which the essential elements of the 158
crime are substantially the same as any of the crimes specified in this 159
subparagraph; (3) has been convicted as delinquent for the commission 160
of a serious juvenile offense, as defined in section 46b-120, or for the 161
commission of a juvenile offense in any other state, a federal, tribal or 162
military court or any foreign jurisdiction for which the essential 163
elements of the crime are substantially the same as for a serious juvenile 164
offense; (4) has been discharged from custody within the preceding 165
twenty years after having been found not guilty of a crime by reason of 166
mental disease or defect pursuant to section 53a-13; (5) (A) has been 167
confined in a hospital for persons with psychiatric disabilities, as 168
defined in section 17a-495, within the preceding sixty months by order 169
of a probate court; or (B) has been voluntarily admitted on or after 170
October 1, 2013, or has been committed under an emergency certificate 171
pursuant to section 17a-502 on or after October 1, 2023, to a hospital for 172
persons with psychiatric disabilities, as defined in section 17a-495, 173
within the preceding six months for care and treatment of a psychiatric 174
disability and not solely for being an alcohol-dependent person or a 175
drug-dependent person as those terms are defined in section 17a-680; 176
(6) is subject to a restraining or protective order issued by a court in a 177
case involving the use, attempted use or threatened use of physical force 178
against another person, including an ex parte order issued pursuant to 179
section 46b-15 or section 46b-16a; (7) is subject to a firearms seizure 180
order issued prior to June 1, 2022, pursuant to section 29-38c after notice 181
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and hearing, or a risk protection order or risk protection investigation 182
order issued on or after June 1, 2022, pursuant to section 29-38c; (8) is 183
prohibited from shipping, transporting, possessing or receiving a 184
firearm pursuant to 18 USC 922(g)(2), (g)(4) or (g)(9); or (9) is an alien 185
illegally or unlawfully in the United States. 186
Sec. 3. Section 29-37p of the general statutes is repealed and the 187
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 188
(a) Any person who is eighteen years of age or older may apply to the 189
Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection for a long 190
gun eligibility certificate. 191
(b) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 192
shall issue a long gun eligibility certificate unless said commissioner 193
finds that the applicant: (1) (A) For any application filed prior to July 1, 194
2024, has failed to successfully complete a course approved by the 195
Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection in the 196
safety and use of firearms including, but not limited to, a safety or 197
training course in the use of firearms available to the public offered by 198
a law enforcement agency, a private or public educational institution or 199
a firearms training school, utilizing instructors certified by the National 200
Rifle Association or the Department of Energy and Environmental 201
Protection and a safety or training course in the use of firearms 202
conducted by an instructor certified by the state or the National Rifle 203
Association, or (B) for any application filed on or after July 1, 2024, has 204
failed to successfully complete, not earlier than two years prior to the 205
submission of such application, a course approved by the Commissioner 206
of Emergency Services and Public Protection in the safety and use of 207
firearms, which courses may include those certified by the National 208
Rifle Association or other organizations, conducted by an instructor 209
certified by the National Rifle Association or by the state, provided any 210
such course includes instruction in state law requirements pertaining to 211
safe storage in the home and in vehicles, lawful use of firearms and 212
lawful carrying of firearms in public; (2) has been convicted of (A) a 213
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felony, or (B) (i) a misdemeanor violation of section 21a-279 on or after 214
October 1, 2015, [(C)] (ii) a misdemeanor violation of section 53a-58, 53a-215
61, 53a-61a, 53a-62, 53a-63, 53a-96, 53a-175, 53a-176, 53a-178 or 53a-181d 216
during the preceding twenty years, [or (D)] (iii) a misdemeanor 217
violation of any law of this state that has been designated as a family 218
violence crime pursuant to section 46b-38h, or (iv) a misdemeanor 219
violation in any other state, a federal, tribal or military court or any 220
foreign jurisdiction for which the essential elements of the crime are 221
substantially the same as any of the crimes specified in this 222
subparagraph; (3) has been convicted as delinquent for the commission 223
of a serious juvenile offense, as defined in section 46b-120, or for the 224
commission of a juvenile offense in any other state, a federal, tribal or 225
military court or any foreign jurisdiction for which the essential 226
elements of the crime are substantially the same as for a serious juvenile 227
offense; (4) has been discharged from custody within the preceding 228
twenty years after having been found not guilty of a crime by reason of 229
mental disease or defect pursuant to section 53a-13; (5) has been 230
confined in a hospital for persons with psychiatric disabilities, as 231
defined in section 17a-495, within the preceding sixty months by order 232
of a probate court; (6) has been voluntarily admitted or, on or after 233
October 1, 2023, has been committed under an emergency certificate 234
pursuant to section 17a-502 to a hospital for persons with psychiatric 235
disabilities, as defined in section 17a-495, within the preceding six 236
months for care and treatment of a psychiatric disability and not solely 237
for being an alcohol-dependent person or a drug-dependent person as 238
those terms are defined in section 17a-680; (7) is subject to a restraining 239
or protective order issued by a court in a case involving the use, 240
attempted use or threatened use of physical force against another 241
person, including an ex parte order issued pursuant to section 46b-15 or 242
46b-16a; (8) is subject to a firearms seizure order issued prior to June 1, 243
2022, pursuant to section 29-38c after notice and hearing, or a risk 244
protection order or risk protection investigation order issued on or after 245
June 1, 2022, pursuant to section 29-38c; (9) is prohibited from shipping, 246
transporting, possessing or receiving a firearm pursuant to 18 USC 247
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922(g)(2), (g)(4) or (g)(9); or (10) is an alien illegally or unlawfully in the 248
United States. 249
Sec. 4. (NEW) (Effective from passage) (a) As used in this section: 250
(1) "Firearm" has the same meaning as provided in section 53a-3 of 251
the general statutes; 252
(2) "Firearm accessory" means an attachment or device designed or 253
adapted to be inserted into, affixed onto or used in conjunction with a 254
firearm that is designed, intended or functions to alter or enhance the 255
firing capabilities of a firearm, the lethality of the firearm or a shooter's 256
ability to hold and use a firearm; 257
(3) "Firearms or ammunition retailer" means a person who (A) (i) 258
engages in the business of selling ammunition, or (ii) holds a permit 259
under section 29-28 of the general statutes, as amended by this act, to 260
sell firearms at retail, and (B) engages in a business in which at least fifty 261
per cent of the sales value during the previous calendar year was 262
derived from firearm, firearm accessory or ammunition sales; 263
(4) "Merchant acquirer" means a person who establishes a 264
relationship with a merchant for the purpose of processing credit, debit 265
or prepaid transactions; 266
(5) "Payment card network" means a person who provides services 267
that route transactions between participants on a network to conduct 268
debit, credit or prepaid transactions for the purpose of authorization, 269
clearance or settlement; and 270
(6) "Person" includes an individual, corporation, partnership, 271
association and any other legal or commercial entity. 272
(b) Not later than July 1, 2026, each payment card network shall make 273
available for each merchant acquirer who provides payment services to 274
firearms or ammunition retailers the merchant category code for 275
firearms or ammunition retailers established by the International 276
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Organization for Standardization on September 9, 2022. 277
(c) On and after May 1, 2027, each merchant acquirer shall assign to 278
each firearms or ammunition retailer in this state the merchant category 279
code for firearms or ammunition retailers established by the 280
International Organization for Standardization on September 9, 2022. 281
(d) (1) The Banking Commissioner may request of any payment card 282
network documentation demonstrating compliance with subsection (b) 283
of this section. Such payment card network shall provide the 284
commissioner such documentation not later than thirty days after 285
receiving such request. If a payment card network does not provide 286
such requested documentation to the commissioner, or the 287
commissioner determines that a payment card network is acting in 288
violation of subsection (b) of this section, the commissioner shall issue a 289
complaint concerning such failure to provide such requested 290
documentation or such violation of subsection (b) of this section to the 291
Attorney General, pursuant to subsection (e) of this section. 292
(2) The Banking Commissioner may request of any merchant acquirer 293
documentation demonstrating compliance with subsection (c) of this 294
section. Such merchant acquirer shall provide the commissioner such 295
documentation not later than thirty days after receiving such request. If 296
a merchant acquirer does not provide such requested documentation to 297
the commissioner, or the commissioner determines that a merchant 298
acquirer is acting in violation of subsection (c) of this section, the 299
commissioner shall issue a complaint concerning such failure to provide 300
such requested documentation or such violation of subsection (c) of this 301
section to the Attorney General, pursuant to subsection (e) of this 302
section. 303
(e) The Attorney General, upon complaint of the Banking 304
Commissioner that any person has violated any provision of subsection 305
(b), (c) or (d) of this section, shall give written notice to such person 306
alleging such person has committed such violation. Such notice shall 307
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identify the specific provision of this section subject to the alleged 308
violation. Not later than thirty days after such person receives such 309
notice, such person may refute such alleged violation or cure such 310
violation and provide the Attorney General, in a form and manner 311
prescribed by the Attorney General, documentation establishing proof 312
that such person has (1) not violated any provision of subsection (b), (c) 313
or (d) of this section, or (2) cured such violation and the manner in which 314
such violation was cured, including any changes made by such person 315
to prevent any similar violation in the future. If after such thirty-day 316
period the Attorney General deems that such person has failed to 317
satisfactorily refute or cure such violation, the Attorney General may 318
apply to the Superior Court, and the court may grant, upon hearing and 319
for good cause shown, without requiring proof that any person has been 320
injured or damaged by such violation, a temporary or permanent 321
injunction enjoining and restraining such person from continuing to 322
engage in activity that is violative of subsection (b) or (c) of this section. 323
The court may also impose a civil penalty of not more than ten thousand 324
dollars for each such violation and reasonable attorney's fees and costs 325
incurred in investigating such violation and enforcing the provisions of 326
this section. 327
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2025 29-28(b)
Sec. 2 October 1, 2025 29-36f
Sec. 3 October 1, 2025 29-37p
Sec. 4 from passage New section
Statement of Purpose:
To (1) provide that certain convictions in other jurisdictions are
disqualifying in this state for a carry permit or firearms eligibility or
ammunition certificate, if an offense for which a person is convicted of
in another jurisdiction is substantially similar to a Connecticut
disqualifying offense, and (2) require that the merchant category code
for firearms or ammunition retailers be assigned to each firearms or
ammunition retailer in this state.
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[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.]