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HB05435 • 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING THE RISK WARRANT FIREARM HOLDING PERIOD.

AN ACT CONCERNING THE RISK WARRANT FIREARM HOLDING PERIOD.

Firearms
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Judiciary Committee
Last action
2026-03-05
Official status
Public Hearing 03/11
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide specific details on what happens if a firearm is returned within two years, or how ammunition should be handled separately from firearms.

Firearm Holding Period for Risk Warrants

This act changes how long firearms seized under risk protection orders must be kept before they can be destroyed.

What This Bill Does

  • Changes the law to require that firearms taken from someone because of a risk warrant cannot be destroyed until two years after the person last asked the court to end the warrant.

Who It Names or Affects

  • People who have risk warrants issued against them.
  • The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection.
  • Local police departments that hold seized firearms.

Terms To Know

Risk warrant
A court order to take away someone's guns if they are a danger to themselves or others.
Firearm holding period
The time that firearms seized by the government must be kept before being destroyed.

Limits and Unknowns

  • Does not specify what happens if the firearm is returned within two years.
  • Does not address how to handle ammunition separately from firearms.
  • Effective date of October 1, 2026, may change depending on further actions by the government.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-05 Connecticut General Assembly

    Public Hearing 03/11

  2. 2026-03-02 Connecticut General Assembly

    Referred to Joint Committee on Judiciary

Official Summary Text

To require that any firearm held under a risk protection order or warrant not be destroyed before two years have passed from the date that the person named in the order or warrant last petitioned the court to terminate the order or warrant.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
LCO No. 2216 1 of 2

General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5435
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 2216

Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY

Introduced by:
(JUD)

AN ACT CONCERNING THE RISK WARRANT FIREARM HOLDING
PERIOD.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Subsection (i) of section 29 -38c of the 2026 supplement to 1
the general statutes is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu 2
thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 3
(i) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 29 -36k, the 4
Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection holding 5
any firearm or firearms or other deadly weapon or deadly weapons and 6
any ammunition seized pursuant to a warrant issued under this section, 7
or any local police department holding on behalf of said commissioner 8
any such firearm or firearms or other deadly weapon or deadly weapons 9
or ammunition, shall not destroy any such firearm or other deadly 10
weapon or ammunition until [at least one year has passed since date of 11
the termination of a warrant under subsection (e) of this section ] two 12
years have passed since the person named in an order or a warrant last 13
petitioned the court to terminate the order or warrant under subsection 14
(f) of this section. If, after such two-year period, such firearm or firearms 15

Raised Bill No. 5435

LCO No. 2216 2 of 2

or other deadly weapon or deadly weapons or ammunition have not 16
been transferred pursuant to subsection (h) of this section, the 17
commissioner or local police department, as applicable, shall cause such 18
firearm or firearms or other deadly weapon or deadly weapons or 19
ammunition to be destroyed. 20
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2026 29-38c(i)

Statement of Purpose:
To require that any firearm held under a risk protection order or warrant
not be destroyed before two years have passed from the date that the
person named in the order or warrant last petitioned the court to
terminate the order or warrant.

[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.]