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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 7194
January Session, 2025
AN ACT CONCERNING SELF -DEFENSE.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 53-203 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 2
(a) Any person who intentionally, negligently or carelessly 3
discharges any firearm in such a manner as to be likely to cause bodily 4
injury or death to persons or domestic animals, or the wanton 5
destruction of property, shall be guilty of a class C misdemeanor. 6
(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not be 7
construed to prohibit the intentional discharge of a firearm for the 8
purpose of lawful self-defense or lawful defense of another person. 9
Sec. 2. Section 26-66 of the general statutes is repealed and the 10
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 11
The commissioner may adopt regulations in accordance with the 12
provisions of chapter 54 governing the taking of wildlife, provided any 13
regulations concerning the taking of migratory game birds shall be 14
consistent with section 26-91. The regulations may: (1) Establish the 15
open and closed seasons, which may be modified by decreasing or 16
increasing the number of days for any specific species, (2) establish 17 Substitute Bill No. 7194
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hours, days or periods during the open season when hunting shall not 18
be permitted for specific species, (3) establish legal hours, (4) prescribe 19
the legal methods, including type, kind, gauge and caliber of weapons 20
and ammunition, including long bow, (5) prescribe the sex of wildlife 21
that may be taken on a state-wide or local area basis, (6) establish the 22
daily bag limit and the season bag limit, (7) establish the maximum 23
number of persons that may hunt on designated areas during any 24
twenty-four-hour period, (8) require that a permit be obtained from the 25
landowner or such landowner's agent, or the commissioner or such 26
commissioner's agent, to enter upon designated premises or areas for 27
the purpose of hunting, and further require that such permit be returned 28
within a specified time to the issuing authority with an accurate report 29
of all wildlife taken under such permit, the time spent on the premises 30
or area and any other data required by the commissioner for 31
management purposes, (9) establish areas that shall be restricted for 32
designated periods for hunting only with long bow or other specified 33
weapons, (10) establish areas that shall be restricted for designated 34
periods for hunting exclusively by persons with physical disabilities, 35
(11) establish requirements and procedures for tagging and reporting 36
birds or animals taken by hunting or trapping, [;] and (12) provided no 37
regulation or order prohibits or may be construed to prohibit the 38
intentional discharge of a firearm for the purpose of lawful self-defense 39
or lawful defense of another person, in the interest of public safety and 40
for the purpose of preventing unreasonable conduct and abuses by 41
hunters, and to provide reasonable control of the actions and behavior 42
of such persons, said commissioner may issue regulations and orders to 43
[(12)] (A) prohibit the carrying of loaded firearms and hunting within 44
specified distances of buildings, [(13)] (B) prohibit the discharge of 45
firearms and other hunting devices within specified distances of 46
buildings and, when within specified distances, the discharge of such 47
firearms and devices toward persons, buildings and livestock, [(14)] (C) 48
prohibit hunting while on any road adjacent to any state park, state 49
forest, premises used for the breeding, rearing or holding in captivity of 50
wildlife or premises used for zoological purposes, [(15)] (D) establish 51
minimum distances between fixed positions, floating and drift blinds 52 Substitute Bill No. 7194
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for waterfowl hunting, [(16)] (E) prohibit crossing over lawns and lands 53
under cultivation, [(17)] (F) prohibit damage to property, livestock and 54
agricultural crops, [(18)] (G) prohibit, during specified periods on 55
designated areas, the training, exercising and running of dogs under 56
control or uncontrolled, [(19)] (H) prohibit the operation and parking of 57
vehicles on designated portions of public and private roads, parking 58
areas, lanes, passageways, rights-of-way, fields and lots, [(20)] (I) 59
prohibit the discarding of bottles, glass, cans, paper, junk, litter and 60
trash, [(21)] (J) control the launching, anchoring, mooring, storage and 61
abandonment of boats, trailers and related equipment on properties 62
under the control of the commissioner, [(22)] (K) specify [(A)] (i) the 63
persons who shall wear fluorescent orange clothing, [(B)] (ii) the time 64
periods during which such clothing shall be worn, and [(C)] (iii) the 65
types and amounts of such clothing which shall be worn, on and after 66
January 1, 1989, when hunting. 67
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2025 53-203
Sec. 2 October 1, 2025 26-66
JUD Joint Favorable Subst.