AN ACT CONCERNING AN URBAN VIOLENCE REDUCTION GRANT PROGRAM, A DATABASE OF CERTAIN PERSONS REPORTING THE LOSS OR THEFT OF A FIREARM AND FUNDING FOR THE STATE-WIDE FIREARMS TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE.

OFFICE OF FISCAL ANALYSIS

Legislative Office Building, Room 5200

Hartford, CT 06106 ¯ (860) 240-0200

http: //www. cga. ct. gov/ofa

sHB-7084

AN ACT CONCERNING AN URBAN VIOLENCE REDUCTION GRANT PROGRAM, A DATABASE OF CERTAIN PERSONS REPORTING THE LOSS OR THEFT OF A FIREARM AND FUNDING FOR THE STATE-WIDE FIREARMS TRAFFICKING TASK FORCE.

Agency Affected	Fund-Effect	FY 08 $	FY 09 $
Policy & Mgmt. , Off.	GF - See Below	See Below	See Below
Public Safety, Dept.	GF - Cost	Potential Minimal	Potential Minimal
Public Safety, Dept.	GF - Implements the Budget	500,000	500,000

Municipalities	Effect	FY 08 $	FY 09 $
Bridgeport; Hartford; New London; New Haven; Stamford; Waterbury	Revenue Gain	Potential	Potential
Various Municipalities	Revenue Gain	Potential	Potential

Explanation

The bill requires the Office of Policy and Management (OPM) to establish an Urban Violence Reduction Grant, within available appropriations, for six municipalities and other urban centers. The bill specifies that the following cities shall receive a grant, if appropriations are sufficient, they are:

Municipality	Amount of Grant if Fully Funded
Bridgeport	$725,000
Hartford	$725,000
New Haven	$725,000
New London	$475,000
Waterbury	$475,000
Stamford	$200,000
Total if Fully Funded	$3,325,000

The bill contains provisions that if appropriations are insufficient these grants will be reduced proportionately. Additionally the bill requires OPM to establish a grant for other urban centers, and requires OPM to determine the eligibility criteria, amount of the grant, and award such grants. It is uncertain what grants, if any will be awarded, but any costs would be in addition to the grants enumerated in the bill, which cost $3. 325 million to fully fund, and all costs would be prorated to the amount of available appropriations. The budget bill, sHB 7077 as favorably reported by the appropriations committee, contains $1 million in each year of the biennium in the Office of Policy and Management for a similarly named, but different Violence Reduction Grants. These funds are provided for a different program, and are not available to implement provisions of this bill.

The bill requires the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to create a lost or stolen weapons database. It is anticipated that the creation of the database could result in a minimal cost to DPS associated with upgrades to current information technology database systems.

Additionally, the bill appropriates $500,000 in each FY 08 and FY 09 for a State-Wide Firearms Trafficking Task Force. The Appropriations Act, sHB 7077, as favorably reported by the Appropriations Committee, contains $500,000 in both FY 08 and FY 09 for this purpose.

The Out Years

The annualized ongoing fiscal impact identified above would continue into the future subject to inflation, with an exception of the upgrades to the information technology database systems, which are anticipated to be a one-time cost.