Marilyn Moore

Today: On Anniversary of Las Vegas Shooting, CT’s Bump Stock Ban Law Takes Effect

Rapid-fire devices can turn semi-automatic weapons into
fully automatic machine guns

Senator Tim Larson (D-East Hartford) announced that a critical public safety law banning bump stocks, which can turn semi-automatic weapons into automatic weapons, goes into effect today.

Bump stocks are devices that transform the firing mechanism of a semi-automatic weapon into a weapon that fires like a fully automatic weapon; a bump stock was used in the Las Vegas shooting, which took place on the night of October 1, 2017—one year ago today. In that case, the shooter was able to fire an estimated 90 shots in 10 seconds. A bump stock also makes the weapon less accurate.

“Earlier this year I visited East Hartford High School to listen to students’ ideas on how to improve our community, and what I found was truly disturbing,” Sen. Larson said. “They didn’t talk to me about school lunch, standardized tests, or prom. Our children today are concerned for their lives—that someone will walk into their school, the local mall, or movie theater and open fire on them. Banning bump stocks it just the first step in ensuring that our communities are safer so that our children don’t have to live in fear.”

PA 18-29

AN ACT CONCERNING BUMP STOCKS AND OTHER MEANS OF ENHANCING THE RATE OF FIRE OF A FIREARM

SUMMARY: This act generally makes it a class D felony for anyone, except a federally licensed firearms manufacturer fulfilling a military contract, to sell, offer to sell, otherwise transfer, or offer to transfer, purchase, possess, use, or manufacture a “rate of fire enhancement” (e.g., a bump stock).

The act provides a reduced penalty (a class D misdemeanor) for a first time offender who possesses a rate of fire enhancement before July 1, 2019, and holds a valid (1) permit to carry a pistol or revolver; (2) eligibility certificate for a pistol, revolver, or long gun; or (3) ammunition certificate.

The act makes an exception for (1) anyone who moves into the state in lawful possession of a rate of fire enhancement and (2) any military personnel stationed or otherwise residing in the state who is deployed from the state on October 1, 2018, or is under deployment from this state on that date and legally possessed a rate of fire enhancement on September 30, 2018.

It requires any such person or military personnel to render the rate of fire enhancement in his or her possession permanently inoperable, remove it from this state, or surrender it to the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) for destruction, within 90 days of moving into the state or returning to the state from deployment, as applicable.

Under the act, the penalties described above do not apply during the 90-day period, unless the person or military personnel uses, sells, offers to sell, otherwise transfers, or offers to transfer, except as permitted, such rate of fire enhancement during this grace period.

The act gives the court specific discretion to suspend prosecution in any case where a violation is not of a serious nature and the person charged with the violation (1) is not likely to offend in the future and (2) has not been previously convicted of a violation of these provisions or had a prosecution of any such violation suspended.

EFFECTIVE DATE: October 1, 2018