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OLR Bill Analysis
SB 135
AN ACT ESTABLISHING A MAXIMUM CHARGE FOR CERTAIN
OCCUPATIONAL LICENSES, CERTIFICATIONS, PERMITS AND
REGISTRATIONS.
SUMMARY
This bill caps at $100 various Department of Consumer Protection
(DCP) occupational registration, certification, and license fees. In
general, the capped fees are annual credentialing fees for individuals,
such as contractors in the trades, but do not include guaranty fund
contributions or examination fees. In the case of real estate brokers and
salespersons (§ 7), telecommunications infrastructure layout technicians
(§ 15), and home inspectors (§ 23), who are licensed biennially, the bill
correspondingly caps fees at $200.
The bill also caps at $100 the fee for the following business
organization certificates of registration that are not issued to
individuals: mechanical contractor initial or renewal registrations (§§ 12
& 13) and landscape architecture corporation renewal registrations (§
16). Additionally, it reduces the renewal fee for certain new home
construction contractors that are subject to a one-time 18-month renewal
(§ 20).
The bill requires the DCP commissioner to adopt regulations by July
1, 2025, to ensure that the fee for a license, permit, certification, or
registration issued by the department to an individual does not exceed
$100 annually (§ 29). However, the bill excludes from this fee cap
credentials issued under the Liquor Control Act (i.e., Title 30 of the
General Statutes). (Presumably, the $100 cap does not apply to related
fees, such as guaranty fund contributions and exam fees.)
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2024, except the provision requiring the
commissioner to adopt regulations is effective upon passage, and a 2024SB-00135-R000071-BA.DOCX
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conforming change is effective July 1, 2025 (§ 26).
FEE REDUCTIONS
The bill reduces various occupational registration, certification, and
license fees. The table below shows each of the fees that the bill reduces
to $100 annually or $200 biennially. Under existing law and unchanged
by the bill, fees shown in the table cover a one-year period unless
otherwise noted.
Table: License, Certification, or Registration Fees Reduced to $100 Annually or
$200 Biennially
Bill Section
(CGS Citation)
License,
Certification, or
Registration
Fee Under Current Law
1
(20-281c)
Public accountant
certificate (limited
scope of practice)
$150 one-time license fee
2
(20-281d)
Public accountant
(with unlimited scope
of practice)
$150 initial license fee
$565 renewal fee
3
(20-292)
Architect $190 license fee, whether initial or
renewal
4-6
(20-305, 20-
306 & 20-308)
Professional engineer;
land surveyor;
combined professional
engineer and land
surveyor
$220 initial license fee, or $190 if
credentialed in another jurisdiction
under comparable laws
$285 renewal fee
7
(20-314)
Real estate brokers $1,130 biennial initial license fee
$750 biennial renewal fee
$375 fee for reinstated license, due for
each year or fraction thereof since it
lapsed
7
(20-314)
Real estate
salespersons
$570 biennial license fee, whether initial
or renewal
$285 fee for reinstated license, due for
each year or fraction thereof since it
lapsed 2024SB-00135-R000071-BA.DOCX
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Bill Section
(CGS Citation)
License,
Certification, or
Registration
Fee Under Current Law
8
(20-333)
Limited or unlimited
contractor in the
trades*
$150 application fee
(see also § 9 below for license and
renewal fees)
9
(20-335)
Tradesperson* license $150 license fee for contractors,
whether initial or renewal
$120 for other licensees
(see also § 8 above)
10
(20-340d)
Swimming pool builder $150 initial license fee
11
(20-340f)
Residential stair lift
technician
$150 initial license fee
12 & 13
(20-341u & 20-
341y)
Mechanical contractor
(i.e., business entity
employing plumbing or
HVAC tradespeople
for larger-scale
projects)
$110 license fee, whether initial or
renewal
14
(20-349)
Television and radio
service dealer,
including combination
service dealer and
electronics or radio
electronics technician
$200 license fee, whether initial or
renewal
15
(20-357m)
Telecommunications
infrastructure layout
technician
$315 biennial license fee, whether initial
or renewal
16
(20-369a)
Landscape
architecture
corporation
$200 renewal fee
17
(20-374)
Landscape architect $280 initial license fee
$160 renewal fee
18 & 19
(20-377m & 20-
377s)
Interior designer $190 license fee, whether initial or
renewal
20
(20-417b)
New home
construction contractor
$120 license fee, whether initial or
renewal (see below for additional
changes) 2024SB-00135-R000071-BA.DOCX
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Bill Section
(CGS Citation)
License,
Certification, or
Registration
Fee Under Current Law
21
(20-421; see
also 20-427(f))
Home improvement
contractor (HIC) or
HIC salesperson
$120 license fee, whether initial or
renewal
22
(20-457)
Community
association manager
$200 renewal fee
23
(20-492a)
Home inspector $250 biennial renewal fee
24
(20-511)
Certified appraiser $375 initial license fee
$285 renewal fee
25 & 26
(20-601)
Pharmacist license or
temporary permit to
practice pharmacy
$200 initial license fee
$105 renewal fee (under current law,
the renewal fee is $100 until July 1,
2025, when it increases to $105)
27 Fund-raising counsel $120 license fee, whether initial or
renewal
28 Paid solicitor $500 license fee, whether initial or
renewal
*Generally covers fields of elevator installation, repair, and maintenance; fire protection
sprinkler systems; flat glass work; gas hearth; heating, piping, and cooling; irrigation;
plumbing and piping; residential stair lift; sheet metal; solar; swimming
§ 20 — NEW HOME CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTORS
By law, new home construction contractor registrations are valid for
one year and expire annually on March 31, except that certain
contractors that previously had a two-year registration that expired on
September 30, 2023, are subject to a one-time 18-month renewal expiring
March 31, 2025. Current law sets a $180 fee for contractors subject to this
18-month renewal. The bill decreases this fee to $150 for contractors
whose renewal date is between July 1, 2024, and March 31, 2025. (It is
unclear whether any of these contractors have a renewal date in this
time period.)
COMMITTEE ACTION
General Law Committee
Joint Favorable 2024SB-00135-R000071-BA.DOCX
Researcher: DC Page 5 3/21/24
Yea 22 Nay 0 (03/07/2024)