Connecticut SB 404: AN ACT CONCERNING WHITING FORENSIC HOSPITAL AND CONNECTICUT VALLEY HOSPITAL.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 404
February Session, 2026

AN ACT CONCERNING FIREWORKS, FOUNTAINS AND NOVELTIES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. Section 29-356 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 2
As used in this section and sections [29-356] 29-357 to 29-365, 3
inclusive, as amended by this act: 4
(1) "Fireworks" means and includes any combustible or explosive 5
composition, or any substance or combination of substances or article 6
prepared for the purpose of producing a visible or an audible effect by 7
combustion, explosion, deflagration or detonation, and includes blank 8
cartridges, toy pistols, toy cannons, toy canes or toy guns in which 9
explosives are used, the type of balloons which require fire underneath 10
to propel the same, firecrackers, torpedoes, skyrockets, Roman candles, 11
Daygo bombs, and any fireworks containing any explosive or 12
flammable compound, or any tablets or other device containing any 13
explosive substance, except that the term "fireworks" shall not include 14
sparklers, [and] fountains, novelties and toy pistols, toy canes, toy guns 15
or other devices in which paper caps manufactured in accordance with 16
the regulations of the United States Interstate Commerce Commission 17
or its successor agency for packing and shipping of toy paper caps are 18
used and toy pistol paper caps manufactured as provided [therein] in 19

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such regulations. 20
(2) "Sparklers" means a wire or stick coated with pyrotechnic 21
composition that produces a shower of sparks upon ignition. 22
(3) "Fountain" means any cardboard or heavy paper cone or 23
cylindrical tube containing pyrotechnic mixture that upon ignition 24
produces a shower of colored sparks, crackling effects, whistling effects 25
or smoke. "Fountain" includes, but is not limited to, (A) a spike fountain, 26
which provides a spike for insertion into the ground, (B) a base fountain 27
which has a wooden or plastic base for placing on the ground, [or] (C) a 28
handle fountain which is a handheld device with a wooden or 29
cardboard handle, or (D) any nonexplosive and nonaerial item that 30
produces the primary effect of spinning on the ground, flashing or 31
strobing, but does not produce a report. 32
(4) "Novelties" means flitter sparklers, party poppers, novelty smoke 33
devices, snappers and novelty snakes, as such terms are described in 34
American Pyrotechnics Association Standard 87-1A, as amended from 35
time to time. 36
Sec. 2. Section 29-357 of the general statutes is repealed and the 37
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 38
(a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, no person, 39
firm or corporation shall offer for sale, expose for sale, sell at retail or 40
use or explode or possess with intent to sell, use or explode any 41
fireworks. A person who is sixteen years of age or older may offer for 42
sale, expose for sale, sell at retail, purchase, use or possess with intent to 43
sell or use sparklers, [or] fountains or novelties of not more than one 44
hundred grams of pyrotechnic mixture per item, which are 45
nonexplosive and nonaerial, provided (1) such sparklers [and fountains] 46
do not contain magnesium, except for magnalium or magnesium-47
aluminum alloy, (2) such sparklers [and fountains] containing any 48
chlorate or perchlorate salts do not exceed five grams of composition 49
per item, and (3) when more than one fountain is mounted on a common 50
base, the total pyrotechnic composition does not exceed [two] five 51

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hundred grams. 52
(b) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 53
shall adopt [reasonable] regulations, in accordance with the provisions 54
of chapter 54, for the granting of permits for supervised displays of 55
fireworks or for the indoor use of pyrotechnics, sparklers and fountains 56
for special effects by municipalities, fair associations, amusement parks, 57
other organizations or groups of individuals or artisans in pursuit of 58
their trade. Such permit may be issued upon application to said 59
commissioner and after (1) inspection of the site of such display or use 60
by the local fire marshal to determine compliance with the requirements 61
of such regulations, and (2) approval of the chiefs of the police and fire 62
departments, or, if there is no police or fire department, of the first 63
selectman, of the municipality wherein the display is to be held as is 64
provided in this section. No such display shall be handled or fired by 65
any person until such person has been granted a certificate of 66
competency by the Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public 67
Protection, in respect to which a fee of two hundred dollars shall be 68
payable to the State Treasurer when issued and whi