Criminal Justice (Violent Crime)

This bill allows any individual to voluntarily turn in firearms they own to a police department or the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. While existing laws already permit the surrender of assault weapons with advance arrangements, this measure clarifies that all other firearms can be relinquished at any time without prior scheduling. The legislation also updates related statutes to ensure consistency in how these voluntary turn-ins are processed and to maintain existing rules about transferring assault weapons to licensed dealers or through inheritance.

SB 290 clarifies the legal definitions of "sexual intercourse" and "sexual contact" in the state's sexual assault laws. It specifies that prosecutions under sections 53a-70 to 53a-73a may be based on either a single act or multiple acts occurring as a continuous pattern of behavior. This change directly affects prosecutors, defendants, and courts handling sexual assault cases by providing a clear standard for what constitutes a single course of conduct. The bill does not alter criminal penalties but ensures consistent application of these definitions to all cases occurring before, on, or after its effective date.