'Ethan's Law' Just Needs Lamont's Okay as Senate, House Sign Off

GUILFORD - “Ethan’s Law” - which would require all firearms to be safely stored in homes occupied by minors under 18 years of age - easily passed the Senate Wednesday with the same bipartisan support it received in the Senate.

It now just needs Gov. Ned Lamont’s signature to become law. He has promised to sign the bill.

Kristin and Mike Song were in the Senate gallery watching the vote with their daughter.

Connecticut’s current safe storage law only requires that loaded firearms be properly stored “if a minor is likely to gain access to the firearm without the permission of the parent or guardian of the minor.”

Ethan Song, of Guilford, died of a self-inflicted gunshot. The 15-year-old accidentally shot himself in the head in January of 2018, the Waterbury state’s attorney’s office said after concluding its investigation.

A juvenile friend of Ethan’s was charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death.

Ethan’s parents have become nationally known advocates for stronger gun storage laws since their son’s death.

Part of the language bill calls, but does not mandate, state education officials to provide guidance to local school districts to developing firearm safety programs in schools.

The Songs earlier this week made a return trip to Washington, D.C. where Connecticut Congresswoman Rosa DeLauro introduced federal legislation modeled after Connecticut’s “Ethan’s Law” bill.

The Songs met Republicans on Capitol Hill to discuss Ethan’s Law. So far, only Democrats are backing the proposal which is not supported by the National Rifle Association.

DeLauro anticipates there will be bipartisan support for Ethan’s Law because everyone agrees that protecting children is fundamental.

“We are eager and optimistic to see that this law will be passed quickly because nothing is more important than our children’s lives,” she said.

She and U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, who is introducing a Senate version of Ethan’s Law, said the federal bill would include fines for unsafe storage of guns and possible jail time and exposure to civil liabilities if the improperly stored weapon results in injury or death. Their bill would also provide law enforcement grants to states to implement similar laws on the state level.

According to the Centers for Disease Control, in 2017, at least 2,696 children and adolescents were unintentionally shot after a gun was improperly stored; more than 100 were killed. Another 1,110 children their own lives, many with unsecured firearms.

The Harvard School of Public Health found that adolescents who die by suicide are twice as likely to have access to a gun at home than those who survive suicide attempts.