General Assembly Committee Bill No. 5785
January Session, 2015 LCO No. 5126
*05126HB05785GL_*
Referred to Committee on GENERAL LAW
Introduced by:
(GL)
General Assembly
Committee Bill No. 5785
January Session, 2015
LCO No. 5126
*05126HB05785GL_*
Referred to Committee on GENERAL LAW
Introduced by:
(GL)
AN ACT CONCERNING INSURANCE AND TESTING REQUIREMENTS FOR HOME IMPROVEMENT CONTRACTORS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Assembly convened:
Section 1. (NEW) (Effective January 1, 2016) (a) Each person who applies for or seeks to renew a certificate of registration as a home improvement contractor pursuant to chapter 400 of the general statutes shall provide evidence of liability insurance in an amount not less than one million dollars to: (1) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection or the commissioner's designee, and (2) the municipal building department in each municipality where such person submits building permit applications.
(b) Each person who applies for or seeks to renew a certificate of registration as a home improvement contractor pursuant to chapter 400 of the general statutes shall provide evidence that such person has passed: (1) An open-book written examination approved by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection and based on written material published and distributed at no charge to the public by the Department of Consumer Protection, or (2) a course of study from a program or school approved by the Commissioner of Consumer Protection.
(c) The provisions of subsection (b) of this section shall not apply to: (1) Any home improvement contractor who has continuously held a valid registration in this state for the five years prior to the date of such application or renewal, or (2) any registered home improvement contractor who has gross annual receipts of not more than thirty thousand dollars.
Sec. 2. (Effective January 1, 2016) (a) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall conduct a study regarding enforcement and complaint procedures relating to home improvement contractors registered pursuant to chapter 400 of the general statutes.
(b) The study conducted pursuant to subsection (a) of this section shall include, but need not be limited to: (1) An analysis of whether the current complaint form and procedures utilized by the Department of Consumer Protection regarding home improvement contractors are adequate and what specific changes may be made to improve such complaint form and department procedures, and (2) recommendations, if any, regarding the open-book written examination and course of study requirements specified in subsection (b) of section 1 of this act.
(c) Not later than July 1, 2016, the Commissioner of Consumer Protection, in accordance with section 11-4a of the general statutes, shall report the results of the study conducted pursuant to this section to the joint standing committee of the General Assembly having cognizance of matters relating to consumer protection and occupational licensing.
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1 January 1, 2016 New section
Sec. 2 January 1, 2016 New section
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following sections:
Section 1
January 1, 2016
New section
Sec. 2
January 1, 2016
New section
Statement of Purpose:
To protect consumers by requiring home improvement contractors to obtain liability insurance coverage and pass a written examination or course of study and to require the Commissioner of Consumer Protection to conduct a study regarding home improvement contractors.
[Proposed deletions are enclosed in brackets. Proposed additions are indicated by underline, except that when the entire text of a bill or resolution or a section of a bill or resolution is new, it is not underlined.]
Co-Sponsors: REP. BARAM, 15th Dist.; REP. ROSE, 118th Dist.
Co-Sponsors:
REP. BARAM, 15th Dist.; REP. ROSE, 118th Dist.
H.B. 5785