Conn. proposals on guns, other items after Newtown
Apr 2, 2013, 12:04 AM
(AP) – Connecticut lawmakers announced a deal Monday on what they called some of the toughest gun laws in the country that were proposed after the December mass shooting at a school in Newtown. Some highlights from the proposal:
GUN LAWS
_Ban sales of high-capacity ammunition magazines;
_Background checks for private gun sales;
_New registry for existing magazines that carry 10 or more bullets;
_Statewide dangerous weapon offender registry, which lawmakers said is the nation’s first;
_Immediate universal background checks for all firearms sales;
_Expansion of Connecticut’s assault weapons ban;
_Safety training and other requirements to buy any rifle, shotgun or ammunition;
_Increases minimum age eligibility for purchase of some semi-automatic rifles to 21;
_ Expands requirements for safe storage of firearms;
_ Increases penalties for firearms trafficking and illegal possession offenses.
SCHOOL SECURITY
_Creates statewide council to develop safety standards for school buildings;
_Requires each school to write safety plans;
_Requires state to maintain registry of school security consultants working in Connecticut;
_Requires all colleges and universities to submit safety plans to the state.
MENTAL HEALTH
_Bans people who voluntarily commit themselves to a hospital from getting gun permits or eligibility certificates within six months of their release;
_ Bans people involuntarily committed to a hospital within the past 60 months from possessing a firearm or receiving a permit or eligibility certificate;
_Expands training to teach people to recognize signs of mental illness in young people and get them help;
_Creates group to study state’s mental health care system;
_Requires that requests for insurers to cover certain mental health services be considered urgent and shortens the review time for them from 72 to 24 hours.
Source: State task force on gun violence prevention and children’s safety
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