O F F I C E O F L E G I S L A T I V E R E S E A R C H
P U B L I C A C T S U M M A R Y
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PA 21-38—SB 186
General Law Committee
AN ACT ALLOWING PERS ONS SIXTEEN YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER
TO OPERATE RIDES AT AMUSEMENT PARKS
SUMMARY: This act lowers the minimum age for amusement park ride or
device operators from 18 to 16. The act excludes from this lowered age
requirement operators at “carnivals,” which the act defines as transient enterprises
that offer portable mechanical amusement rides or devices for public amusement
and entertainment, but not those that lease inflatable devices for private residential
use.
Under the act, if an operator is under age 18, he or she must work in an area
supervised by someone who is at least age 18 and trained in normal operating and
emergency procedures.
Under the act, a “ride or device operator” is someone in charge of a
mechanical amusement ride or device who operates it and has direct control of
starting or stopping it or its speed. Under existing regulations, operators must be
(1) properly trained, familiar with, and adequately supervised to ensure safe
operation and (2) trained in normal and emergency shut-down procedures (Conn.
Agencies Regs., § 29-136-7a).
The act also makes technical and conforming changes.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2021