Revised bill summary (assuming I was reading the correct amended House bill and understood it’s changes):
Sec. 1 (New - effective October 1, 2025, applicable to any civil action filed on or after said date). Defines the following:
“Firearm industry member” - Person, firm, corporation, company, partnership, society, joint stock company, trade association, or any other entity or association engaged in the manufacture, distribution, importation, marketing, wholesale or retail sale of firearm industry products.
“Firearm industry product” - Any of the following sold, made or distributed in this state, or is possessed in this state and it was known by the firearm industry member that such product would be sold, made, distributed or possessed in this state: ammunition, magazine, firearm, unfinished frame or lower receiver, rate of firearm enhancement.
“Firearm trafficker” - Individual who engages in, conspires to engage in, or attempts to engage in conduct that constitutes firearms trafficking.
“Reasonable controls” - procedures, acts and practices that are designed, implemented and enforced to do all of the following:
- Prevent the sale or distribution in this state of a firearm industry product to a straw purchaser, a firearm trafficker, a person prohibited from possessing a firearm under state or federal law, or a person about whom a firearm industry member has reasonable cause to believe such person is at substantial risk of using a firearm industry product to harm themself or another or of possessing or using a firearm industry product unlawfully.
- Ensure compliance with pistol permit, pistol eligibility certificate, long gun eligibility certificate, and ammunition certificate statutes.
- Prevent the sale or distribution in this state of a firearm industry product that is designed in a manner that is reasonably foreseeable to promote conversion of a legal firearm industry product into an illegal firearm industry product.
- Ensure compliance with section 2 of this act.
“Straw purchaser” - Individual who engages in or attempts to engage in conduct that violates subsection (a) of section 29-34 of the general statutes, section 29-37e of the general statutes or 18 USC 932.
Sec. 2 (New - effective October 1, 2025, applicable to any civil action filed on or after said date). Firearm industry member shall establish, implement and enforce reasonable controls.
- No firearm industry member shall provide a firearm industry product to another firearm industry member when the firearm industry member has reasonable cause to believe that such other firearm industry member is engaged in conduct that is in violation of this section.
- No firearm industry member shall purposely and knowingly direct its advertising, marketing or promotions of firearm industry products in this state in a manner that it knows would promote unlawful sales, promote unlawful use or promote unreasonable risk to public safety.
- No firearm industry member shall knowingly violate state or federal law relating to the manufacture, distribution, importation, marketing, wholesale or retail sale of firearm industry products.
Sec. 3 (New - effective October 1, 2025, applicable to any civil action filed on or after said date). An act or omission by a firearm industry member that fails to comply with any provision of Sec. 2 constitutes a violation of said section and shall be actionable. Such action may be brought in the superior court for the judicial district where the act, omission or harm is alleged to have occurred by:
- A person who has suffered harm in this state because of a firearm industry member’s violation of section 2 of this act;
- The corporation counsel or other chief legal officer of a municipality in the name of the municipality; or
- The Attorney General in the name of the state.
Any person bringing an action pursuant to 1) or 2) of the preceding shall provide notice of such action to the Attorney General not later than thirty days after the date of filing such action.
If a court determines that a firearm industry member has violated any provision of Sec. 2, the court may award any or all of the following:
- Injunctive relief sufficient to prevent the firearm industry member and any other defendant from further violating the law.
- Compensatory damages.
- Punitive damages.
- Restitution.
- Costs and reasonable attorney’s fees.
- Any other appropriate relief necessary to enforce the provisions of chapter 529 of the general statutes and remedy the harm caused by the conduct.
Sec. 4, Sec. 5, Sec. 6 (all effective October 1, 2025). Makes the following changes/addition to the pistol permit, pistol eligibility certificate, and long gun eligibility certificate statutes.
Change the 10 misdemeanor violations disqualifications from the preceding 20 years to the preceding eight years. Adds the following new language to pistol permit statute:
“a misdemeanor violation in another state, a federal, tribal or military court or any foreign jurisdiction during the preceding eight years that a reasonable reviewer would believe to constitute (I) any crime of violence against another person causing physical injury, (II) any crime that with extreme indifference to human life creates a risk of serious physical injury or with criminal negligence causes the death of another person other than by a motor vehicle, (III) any crime that by physical threat or course of conduct causes another person to reasonably fear for such person’s safety, (IV) any crime involving engaging in or inciting a riot, or (V) possession of a controlled substance or hallucinogenic substance, each as defined in section 21a-240, other than less than four ounces of cannabis, less than one-half ounce of psilocybin or nicotine”
Sec. 7 (effective October 1, 2025). Adds the following language to the Sec. 53-203. Unlawful discharge of firearms statute:
“The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not be construed to prohibit the intentional discharge of a firearm for the purpose of lawful self-defense or lawful defense of another person.”
Sec. 8 (effective October 1, 2025). Adds the following language to Fisheries and Game Section 26-66’s scope of regulations:
“provided no regulation or order prohibits or may be construed to prohibit the intentional discharge of a firearm for the purpose of lawful self-defense or lawful defense of another person”