Connecticut HB 5436: AN ACT PROHIBITING SCHOOL DISTRICT POLICIES THAT DISCRIMINATE AGAINST STUDENTS BASED ON NATURAL HAIR AND HAIRSTYLES.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 5436
February Session, 2026 LCO No. 2344

Referred to Committee on JUDICIARY

Introduced by:
(JUD)

AN ACT AMENDING CERTAIN FIREARMS DEFINITIONS AND
CONCERNING THE TRANSFER OF LARGE CAPACITY MAGAZINES
AND ASSAULT WEAPONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 53a-3 of the 2026 supplement to the general statutes 1
is repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective 2
October 1, 2026): 3
Except where different meanings are expressly specified, the 4
following terms have the following meanings when used in this title: 5
(1) "Person" means a human being, and, where appropriate, a public 6
or private corporation, a limited liability company, an unincorporated 7
association, a partnership, a government or a governmental 8
instrumentality; 9
(2) "Possess" means to have physical possession or otherwise to 10
exercise dominion or control over tangible property; 11
(3) "Physical injury" means impairment of physical condition or pain; 12

Raised Bill No. 5436

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(4) "Serious physical injury" means physical injury which creates a 13
substantial risk of death, or which causes serious disfigurement, serious 14
impairment of health or serious loss or impairment of the function of 15
any bodily organ; 16
(5) "Deadly physical force" means physical force which can be 17
reasonably expected to cause death or serious physical injury; 18
(6) "Deadly weapon" means any weapon, whether loaded or 19
unloaded, from which a shot may be discharged, or a switchblade knife, 20
gravity knife, billy, blackjack, bludgeon, or metal knuckles. The 21
definition of "deadly weapon" in this subdivision shall be deemed not 22
to apply to section 29-38 or 53-206 and does not include an electronic 23
defense weapon when used by a peace officer; 24
(7) "Dangerous instrument" means any instrument, article or 25
substance which, under the circumstances in which it is used or 26
attempted or threatened to be used, is capable of causing death or 27
serious physical injury, and includes a "vehicle" as that term is defined 28
in this section and includes a dog that has been commanded to attack, 29
except a dog owned by a law enforcement agency of the state or any 30
political subdivision thereof or of the federal government when such 31
dog is in the performance of its duties under the direct supervision, care 32
and control of an assigned law enforcement officer; 33
(8) "Vehicle" means a "motor vehicle" as defined in section 14-1, a 34
snowmobile, any aircraft, or any vessel equipped for propulsion by 35
mechanical means or sail; 36
(9) "Peace officer" means a member of the Division of State Police 37
within the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection or 38
an organized local police department, a chief inspector or inspector in 39
the Division of Criminal Justice, a state marshal while exercising 40
authority granted under any provision of the general statutes, a judicial 41
marshal in the performance of the duties of a judicial marshal, a 42
conservation officer or special conservation officer, as defined in section 43

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26-5, a constable who performs criminal law enforcement duties, a 44
special policeman appointed under section 29-18, 29-18a, 29-18b or 29-45
19, an adult probation officer, an official of the Department of Correction 46
authorized by the Commissioner of Correction to make arrests in a 47
correctional institution or facility, any investigator in the investigations 48
unit of the office of the State Treasurer, an inspector of motor vehicles in 49
the Department of Motor Vehicles, who is certified under the provisions 50
of sections 7-294a to 7-294e, inclusive, a United States marshal or deputy 51
marshal, any special agent of the federal government authorized to 52
enforce the provisions of Title 21 of the United States Code, or a member 53
of a law enforcement unit of the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe or the 54
Mohegan Tribe of Indians of Connecticut created and governed by a 55
memorandum of agreement under section 47-65c who is certified as a 56
police officer by the Police Officer Standards and Training Council 57
pursuant to sections 7-294a to 7-294e, inclusive; 58
(10) "Firefighter" means any agent of a municipality whose duty it is 59
to protect life and property therein as a member of a duly constituted 60
fire department whether professional or volunteer; 61
(11) A person acts "intentionally" with respect to a result or to conduct 62
described by a statute defining an offense when his conscious objective 63
is to cause such result or to engage in such conduct; 64
(12) A person acts "knowingly" with respect to conduct or to a 65
circumstance described by a statute defining an offense when he is 66
aware that his conduct is of such nature or that such circumstance exists; 67
(13) A person acts "recklessly" with respe