AN ACT CONCERNING THE DUTY TO RETREAT IN A HOUSE OF RELIGIOUS WORSHIP.

HB 5597 eliminates the legal requirement for individuals to retreat before using deadly force in a house of religious worship to defend themselves or others. This bill directly affects people present in religious spaces (like churches or mosques) who face imminent threats. The key change modifies self-defense law to allow immediate use of deadly force without first attempting to retreat. It does not alter general self-defense rules outside religious buildings. The bill focuses solely on removing a specific retreat obligation within places of worship.