§ 7-294jj — Acquisition and inventory of military designed equipment by state and municipal police. Order to sell, transfer or dispose of by office of the Governor and Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection. Reconsideration of order. Reporting. Prohibited use for crowd management or intimidation tactics.

Connecticut § 7-294jj

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 7: Municipalities
• Ch. 104: Police and Fire Protection

Text

(a) For purposes of this section: (1) “Law enforcement agency” means the Division of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection or any municipal police department; and (2) “Controlled equipment” means military designed equipment classified by the United States Department of Defense as part of the federal 1033 program that is (A) a controlled firearm, ammunition, bayonet, grenade launcher, grenade, including stun and flash-bang, or an explosive, (B) a controlled vehicle, highly mobile multi-wheeled vehicle, mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicle, truck, truck dump, truck utility or truck carryall, (C) a drone that is armored or weaponized, (D) controlled aircraft that is combat configured or combat coded or has no established commercial flight application, (E) a silencer, (F) a long-range acoustic device, or (G) an item in the federal supply class of banned items. (b) On and after July 31, 2020, no law enforcement agency may acquire controlled equipment. (c) Not later than December 31, 2020, each law enforcement agency shall report, in accordance with the provisions of section 11-4a , to the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the judiciary and public safety its inventory of controlled equipment possessed on July 31, 2020. As part of such report, the agency shall include the use or proposed use of each item in its inventory and whether such use or proposed use is necessary for the operation and safety of the department or is for relief or rescue efforts in the case of a natural disaster or for other public safety purposes. (d) (1) The office of the Governor and the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection may order a law enforcement agency to lawfully sell, transfer or otherwise dispose of controlled equipment they jointly find is unnecessary for public protection. A municipal police department may request the office of the Governor and the commissioner to reconsider such order. The office of the Governor and the commissioner may jointly amend or rescind such order if the police department has held a public hearing in the municipality it serves concerning the proposed request for reconsideration and the department demonstrates in its request for reconsideration that the use or proposed use of the controlled equipment is necessary for the operation and safety of the department or is for relief or rescue efforts in the case of a natural disaster or for other public safety purposes. (2) The office of the Governor and the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall notify the joint standing committees of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to the judiciary and public safety of controlled equipment that is ordered to be sold, transferred or otherwise disposed of pursuant to subdivision (1) of this subsection. (e) No law enforcement agency that is permitted to retain controlled equipment may use any such equipment for crowd management or intimidation tactics.

Legislative History

(July Sp. Sess. P.A. 20-1, S. 40.) History: July Sp. Sess. P.A. 20-1 effective July 31, 2020.