LEGISLATIVE NEWS – 2008
This page is intended to alert you regarding bills proposed
in the current legislative session which relate to firearms, 
permits, ranges, and other related matters.  To keep things 
simple, the page will list the bills in numerical order which
have been proposed and give you a simple overview of the bills
stated intent.  The page will not reprint all the text of each
bill or evaluate its content in any manner. 

You are encouraged to explore the full content of these bills
by visiting the General Assembly website at www.cga.ct.gov  

The bills may be located simply by inserting the bill number
at the top of the page, or by searching via the subject index
under “Firearms.” The bills may be added to the “Bill Tracking”
feature for your future reference. 


HOUSE BILLS
HB5035 - Repeat Violent Offenders – Burglary, Pardons, & Parole
         Changes sentences and conditions for parole regarding these
         categories of crimes, and references the use of a firearm.

HB5099 - Funding for Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force – 
         proposed amount is $100,000.

HB5303 - Reinstates the Statewide Firearms Trafficking Task Force

HB5474 - Reduces fees for Firearms Permits and Motor Vehicle
         Registrations by Fifty Percent.

3/5/08 – All of the above bills remain under consideration as
         originally presented.


SENATE BILLS
SB36 - Eviction for Illegal Drugs or Firearms Sales or Possession
       Renders null and void the lease of a renter who is convicted
       of sale or possession of illegal guns or drugs.

SB178 - Regulation of Firearms and the Licensing of Bail Enforcement
        Agents, Professional Bondsmen, and Surety Bail Bond Agents

        1.  Increases processing time for pistol permits from 8 weeks to
            12 weeks; 
        2.  Requires gun show promoters to notify the Commissioner of 
            Public Safety of planned gun shows; 
        3.  Mandates annual firearms refresher courses for bail 
            enforcement agents, professional bondsmen, and surety bail 
            bond agents; 
        4.  Requires certain firearms and criminal justice courses 
            to be approved by the Commissioner of Public Safety; 
        5.  Creates an exemption to offenses of selling, carrying, 
            or brandishing a facsimile firearm for participants in 
            state-certified qualified production; 
        6.  Changes the blood alcohol limit for the offense of carrying
            a firearm while intoxicated to that used the DMV regarding 
            operating a motor vehicle. 

3/5/08 – SB 178 Revised 

While SB36 remains under consideration as originally proposed, there has
been a major change to SB178. The Judiciary Committee deleted the 
revision which was being proposed to Sections 29-28a and 29-29 pertaining
to processing time for handgun permits. A new Substitute Bill #178 has
been proposed and does not include changes to the requirement for local
authorities to process completed permit applications within eight weeks.

The new substitute bill also revises the original bill in respect to 
Section 29-37g with respect to who is responsible for notifying the 
Commissioner of Public Safety regarding planned gun shows.


New Bills Proposed! 
The Judiciary Committee has proposed the following two bills:

Raised Bill 603 Ammunition Serialization 
This bill proposes that ammunition sold in Connecticut be coded with an 
individual serial number and entered into a state-wide database at the 
time of sale with the date of sale, the purchaser’s name, date of birth, 
driver’s license number and serial number of the ammunition.

Raised Bill 607 Bans the Sale of Semi-Automatic Handguns that do not have
“Micro-stamping Technology” This bill requires that identifying marks be 
etched into the firing pin and breech face of a firearm thereby adding 
substantially to the cost of the firearm.

The NRA is urging everyone to contact their representatives on the 
Judiciary Committee to request that they not support these bills. 

Last Updated  03/18/08