New Laws That Take Effect October 19, 2019

When the clock struck midnight this morning, over 75 new laws went into effect in the State of Connecticut. Below are some highlights:

1. Opioid laws. There are several changes to the prescribing process. One of which is when a physician prescribes a longer than 12-week supply, a treatment plan must be discussed with the patient.
2. PTSD Workers’ Compensation for Police Officers, Parole Officers, and Firefighters.  Those who work in these professions will be eligible to receive certain workers’ compensation benefits for post traumatic stress disorder causes by certain “qualifying events.” The qualifying events include seeing a dead minor’s body, witnessing a death or losing a vital body part through injury. The time period for workers’ compensation is 52 weeks and within four years of the qualifying event.
3. Smoking age. The smoking age is raised to age 21. E-cigarette online purchases must be signed for by someone who is 21 and over. There are also penalties for those who sell to people under 21.
4. Gun Laws. Several gun laws went into effect today. Safe storage of guns is required even if they are unloaded and it is known that a child under 18 could gain access to. Pistols and revolvers will have to be kept in a locked trunk, safe or locked glove box when left unattended in a motor vehicle. people won’t be able to create or transfer what is commonly referred to as a “ghost gun,” which is the process of creating a firearm that doesn’t have a unique serial number. Those who create such guns will be required to get a unique identifier from the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection. The law also bans the manufacture of firearms made from plastic that aren’t detectable through metal detectors.

Get a full list of law that went into effect today from the Connecticut General Assembly.