Connecticut state legislators have reached a deal to bring in some of the toughest gun laws in the US.

 

The proposal includes a ban on a new high-capacity ammunition¹（弹药，军火） magazines like the one that was used by Adam Lanza to kill 20 children and six teachers in the Newtown school shooting in December.

 

It also calls for background checks for private gun sales and a new registry for existing magazines that carry 10 or more bullets, something of a compromise for parents of Newtown victims who had wanted an outright² ban.

 

The package creates what members of the state's general assembly said was the nation's first statewide dangerous weapon offender³ registry, immediate⁴ universal background checks for all firearms sales and expansion of Connecticut's assault weapons ban.

 

A new state-issued eligibility⁵ certificate would be needed to purchase any rifle, shotgun or ammunition under the legislation. To get the certificate, a buyer would need to be fingerprinted⁶, take a firearms training course and undergo a national criminal background check and involuntary commitment or voluntary admission check.

 

The deal is "the most comprehensive package in the country because of its breadth," said Senate Minority Leader John McKinney, a Republican whose district includes Newtown.

 

Mr McKinney said people tend to focus on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines, but he said "there's a lot here underneath⁷ the surface" addressing mental health and other issues.

 

The proposal was revealed to rank-and-file members after weeks of negotiations⁸ among legislative⁹ leaders. A vote was expected later this week in the legislature, where Democrats¹¹ control both chambers¹², making passage all but assured. The bill would then be sent to Gov. Dannel P. Malloy, who has helped lead efforts to strengthen the state's gun laws.

 

Both Democratic and Republican leaders were expected to support the proposal. Connecticut is sending a message to Washington and the rest of the country "this is the way to get this job done," said House Speaker Brendan Sharkey, a Democrat¹⁰ from Hamden.

 

Legislative leaders have been negotiating since early March, reviewing recommendations on guns, mental health care and school security in the wake of the shooting.

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