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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 7119
January Session, 2025
AN ACT CONCERNING THE STATE FIRE PREVENTION CODE, THE
STATE FIRE SAFETY CODE, THE REPORTING OF IDENTIFYING
INFORMATION, THE STATE BUILDING CODE, ORDERS OF
BUILDING INSPECTORS AND LOCAL FIRE MARSHALS AND
ELEVATOR INSPECTIONS.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Subsection (a) of section 29-349 of the general statutes is 1
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 2
passage): 3
(a) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 4
shall have exclusive jurisdiction [in the preparation of and may enforce 5
reasonable regulations for] over explosives and blasting agents. The 6
commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the 7
provisions of chapter 54, regarding the safe and convenient storage, 8
transportation and use of explosives and blasting agents used in 9
connection therewith. [, which] Such regulations shall (1) deal in 10
particular with the quantity and character of explosives and blasting 11
agents to be stored, transported and used, the proximity of such storage 12
to inhabited dwellings or other occupied buildings, public highways 13
and railroad tracks, the character and construction of suitable 14
magazines for such storage, protective measures to secure such stored 15
explosives and blasting agents and the abatement of any hazard that 16 Substitute Bill No. 7119
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may arise incident to the storage, transportation or use of such 17
explosives and blasting agents, and (2) be consistent with the State Fire 18
Prevention Code. 19
Sec. 2. Subsection (b) of section 29-357 of the general statutes is 20
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 21
passage): 22
(b) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 23
shall have exclusive jurisdiction over fireworks and the indoor use of 24
pyrotechnics, sparklers and fountains for special effects. Said 25
commissioner shall adopt [reasonable] regulations, in accordance with 26
the provisions of chapter 54, which shall (1) establish a procedure for 27
the granting of permits for supervised displays of fireworks or for the 28
indoor use of pyrotechnics, sparklers and fountains for special effects by 29
municipalities, fair associations, amusement parks, other organizations 30
or groups of individuals or artisans in pursuit of their trade, and (2) be 31
consistent with the State Fire Prevention Code. Such permit may be 32
issued upon application to said commissioner and after [(1)] (A) 33
inspection of the site of such display or use by the local fire marshal to 34
determine compliance with the requirements of such regulations, and 35
[(2)] (B) approval of the chiefs of the police and fire departments, or, if 36
there is no police or fire department, of the first selectman, of the 37
municipality wherein the display is to be held as is provided in this 38
section. No such display shall be handled or fired by any person until 39
such person has been granted a certificate of competency by the 40
Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection, in respect 41
to which a fee of two hundred dollars shall be payable to the State 42
Treasurer when issued and which may be renewed every three years 43
upon payment of a fee of one hundred ninety dollars payable to the State 44
Treasurer, provided such certificate may be suspended or revoked by 45
said commissioner at any time for cause. Such certificate of competency 46
shall attest to the fact that such operator is competent to fire a display. 47
Such display shall be of such a character and so located, discharged or 48
fired as in the opinion of the chiefs of the police and fire departments or 49
such selectman, after proper inspection, will not be hazardous to 50 Substitute Bill No. 7119
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property or endanger any person or persons. In an aerial bomb, no 51
salute, report or maroon may be used that is composed of a formula of 52
chlorate of potash, sulphur, black needle antimony and dark aluminum. 53
Formulas that may be used in a salute, report or maroon are as follows: 54
[(A)] (i) Perchlorate of potash, black needle antimony and dark 55
aluminum, and [(B)] (ii) perchlorate of potash, dark aluminum and 56
sulphur. No high explosive such as dynamite, fulminate of mercury or 57
other stimulator for detonating shall be used in any aerial bomb or other 58
pyrotechnics. Application for permits shall be made in writing at least 59
fifteen days prior to the date of display, on such notice as the 60
Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection by 61
regulation prescribes, on forms furnished by the commissioner, and a 62
fee of one hundred dollars shall be payable to the State Treasurer with 63
each such application. After such permit has been granted, sales, 64
possession, use and distribution of fireworks for such display shall be 65
lawful for that purpose only. No permit granted hereunder shall be 66
transferable. Any permit issued under the provisions of this section may 67
be suspended or revoked by the Commissioner of Emergency Services 68
and Public Protection or the local fire marshal for violation by the 69
permittee of any provision of the general statutes, any regulation or any 70
ordinance relating to fireworks. 71
Sec. 3. Subsection (a) of section 29-357a of the general statutes is 72
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 73
passage): 74
(a) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 75
shall have exclusive jurisdiction over supervised displays of special 76
effects produced by pyrotechnics or flame producing devices. Said 77
commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the 78
provisions of chapter 54, which shall (1) establish a procedure for the 79
granting of permits for supervised displays of special effects produced 80
by pyrotechnics, including sparklers and fountains, or flame producing 81
devices by municipalities, fair associations, amusement parks, other 82
organizations or groups of individuals or artisans in pursuit of their 83
trade, [. Such regulations shall] (2) include provisions for determining 84 Substitute Bill No. 7119
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the competency of persons intending to discharge or fire such special 85
effects, and (3) be consistent with the State Fire Prevention Code. Such 86
regulations shall not apply to ceremonial activities that include minimal 87
use of pyrotechnics or flame producing devices. 88
Sec. 4. Subsection (a) of section 29-367 of the general statutes is 89
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective from 90
passage): 91
(a) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection 92
shall have exclusive jurisdiction over rockets propelled by rocket 93
motors. Said commissioner shall adopt [, and may amend, reasonable] 94
regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, concerning 95
the safe design, construction, manufacture, testing, certification, storage, 96
sale, shipping, operation and launching of rockets propelled by rocket 97
motors, including, but not limited to, solid, liquid and cold propellant, 98
hybrid, steam or pressurized liquid rocket motors. Such regulations 99
shall (1) include provisions for the prevention of injury to life and 100
damage to property and protection of hazards incident to the design, 101
construction, manufacture, testing, storage, sale, shipping, operation 102
and launching of such rockets, and (2) be consistent with the State Fire 103
Prevention Code. The commissioner shall enforce such regulations. 104
Sec. 5. Subsections (b) and (c) of section 29-291a of the general statutes 105
are repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective 106
from passage): 107
(b) There is established an advisory committee consisting of [nine] 108
eleven persons appointed by the State Fire Marshal. The State Fire 109
Marshal shall appoint (1) two members selected from a list of 110
individuals submitted by the Codes and Standards Committee from the 111
membership of said committee, [and] (2) seven members representing 112
local fire marshals, deputy fire marshals and fire inspectors selected 113
from a list of individuals submitted by the Connecticut Fire Marshals 114
Association, and (3) two members selected from a list of individuals 115
submitted by the Fire and Explosion Investigation Unit of the Division 116 Substitute Bill No. 7119
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of State Police within the Department of Emergency Services and Public 117
Protection. 118
(c) The State Fire Marshal or the Commissioner of Emergency 119
Services and Public Protection, as appropriate, may issue official 120
interpretations of the State Fire Prevention Code [, including 121
interpretations of the applicability of any provision of the code,] upon 122
the request of any person. The State Fire Marshal and the Commissioner 123
of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall jointly compile and 124
index each interpretation and shall publish such interpretations at 125
periodic intervals not exceeding four months. 126
Sec. 6. Section 47a-6a of the general statutes is repealed and the 127
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 128
(a) As used in this section: [,] 129
(1) ["address"] "Address" means a location as described by the full 130
street number, if any, the street name, the city or town, and the state, 131
and not a mailing address such as a post office box; [,] 132
(2) ["dwelling unit"] "Dwelling unit" means any house or building, or 133
portion thereof, which is rented, leased or hired out to be occupied, or 134
is arranged or designed to be occupied, or is occupied, as the home or 135
residence of one or more persons, living independently of each other, 136
and doing their cooking upon the premises, and having a common right 137
in the halls, stairways or yards; [,] 138
(3) ["agent in charge"] "Agent in charge" or "agent" means [one] an 139
individual who manages real [estate] property, including, but not 140
limited to, the collection of rents and supervision and maintenance of 141
such property, including for the purpose of compliance with state law 142
and local codes; 143
(4) ["controlling participant"] "Controlling participant" means an 144
individual [that] who exercises day-to-day financial or operational 145
control; [, and] 146 Substitute Bill No. 7119
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(5) ["project-based housing provider"] "Project-based housing 147
provider" means a property owner who contracts with the United States 148
Department of Housing and Urban Development to provide housing to 149
tenants under the federal Housing Choice Voucher Program, 42 USC 150
1437f(o); 151
(6) "Identifying information" means proof of an individual's name, 152
date of birth, current residential address, motor vehicle operator's 153
license number or other identification number issued by any 154
government agency or entity; 155
(7) "Nonresident owner" means an individual, corporation, 156
partnership, trust or other legally recognized entity who does not reside 157
at rental real property and who is (A) an owner, as defined in section 158
47a-1, of such real property, or (B) the controlling participant of the 159
entity that owns such real property; and 160
(8) "Population" means the number of persons according to the most 161
recent federal decennial census. 162
(b) Any municipality may, and any municipality with a population 163
of twenty-five thousand or more shall, require the nonresident owner or 164
project-based housing provider of occupied or vacant rental real 165
property to report to the tax assessor, or other municipal [office] officer 166
designated by the municipality, the current residential address of the 167
nonresident owner or project-based housing provider of such property, 168
if the nonresident owner or project-based housing provider is an 169
individual, or the current residential address of the agent in charge of 170
the building, if the nonresident owner or project-based housing 171
provider is a corporation, partnership, trust or other legally recognized 172
entity owning rental real property in the state. If the nonresident 173
[owners] owner or project-based housing [providers are] provider is a 174
corporation, partnership, trust or other legally recognized entity owning 175
rental real property in the state, such report shall also include 176
identifying information and the current residential address of each 177
controlling participant associated with the property. If such residential 178 Substitute Bill No. 7119
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address changes, notice of the new residential address shall be provided 179
by such nonresident owner, project-based housing provider or agent in 180
charge of the building to the office of the tax assessor or other designated 181
municipal office not more than twenty-one days after the date that the 182
address change occurred. If the nonresident owner, project-based 183
housing provider or agent fails to file an address under this section, the 184
address to which the municipality mails property tax bills for the rental 185
real property shall be deemed to be the nonresident owner, project-186
based housing provider or agent's current address. Such address may 187
be used for compliance with the provisions of subsection [(c)] (d) of this 188
section. 189
(c) In addition to the residential address required pursuant to 190
subsection (b) of this section, any municipality with a population of 191
twenty-five thousand or more shall require the nonresident owner, 192
project-based housing provider or agent in charge, as applicable, to 193
report to the tax assessor, or other municipal officer designated by the 194
municipality, accurate identifying information concerning such 195
nonresident owner, project-based housing provider or agent in charge. 196
[(c)] (d) Service of state or municipal orders relating to maintenance 197
of such rental real property or compliance with state law and local codes 198
concerning such real property directed to the nonresident owner, 199
project-based housing provider or agent at the address on file, or 200
deemed to be on file in accordance with the provisions of this section, 201
shall be sufficient proof of service of notice of such orders in any 202
subsequent criminal or civil action against the owner, project-based 203
housing provider or agent for failure to comply with the orders. The 204
provisions of this section shall not be construed to limit the validity of 205
any other means of giving notice of such orders that may be used by the 206
state or [such] a municipality. 207
[(d)] (e) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall 208
have committed [an infraction] a violation and shall be fined not less 209
than two hundred fifty dollars nor more than one thousand dollars. 210 Substitute Bill No. 7119
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[(e)] (f) Any report provided to a tax assessor pursuant to subsection 211
(b) or (c) of this section [on or after October 1, 2023,] shall be confidential 212
and shall not be disclosed under chapter 14. 213
Sec. 7. Subsection (a) of section 47a-7 of the general statutes is 214
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 215
1, 2025): 216
(a) A landlord shall: (1) Comply with the requirements of chapter 217
368o and all applicable building and housing codes materially affecting 218
health and safety of both the state or any political subdivision thereof; 219
(2) make all repairs and do whatever is necessary to put and keep the 220
premises in a fit and habitable condition, except where the premises are 221
intentionally rendered unfit or uninhabitable by the tenant, a member 222
of [his] such tenant's family or other person on the premises with [his] 223
such tenant's consent, in which case such duty shall be the responsibility 224
of [the] such tenant; (3) keep all common areas of the premises in a clean 225
and safe condition; (4) maintain in good and safe working order and 226
condition all electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, ventilating and 227
other facilities and appliances and elevators, supplied or required to be 228
supplied by him; (5) provide and maintain appropriate receptacles for 229
the removal of ashes, garbage, rubbish and other waste incidental to the 230
occupancy of the dwelling unit and arrange for their removal; [and] (6) 231
supply running water and reasonable amounts of hot water at all times 232
and reasonable heat except if the building which includes the dwelling 233
unit is not required by law to be equipped for that purpose or if the 234
dwelling unit is so constructed that heat or hot water is generated by an 235
installation within the exclusive control of the tenant or supplied by a 236
direct public utility connection; and (7) comply with the requirements 237
of section 47a-6a, as amended by this act. 238
Sec. 8. Section 29-254a of the general statutes is repealed and the 239
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 240
Any person who violates any provision of the State Building Code 241
shall, (1) for the first offense, be fined not less than two hundred dollars 242 Substitute Bill No. 7119
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[or] nor more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than 243
six months, or both, and (2) for any subsequent offense, be fined not less 244
than five hundred dollars nor more than two thousand dollars or 245
imprisoned not more than six months, or both. 246
Sec. 9. Subsection (e) of section 29-291c of the general statutes is 247
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 248
1, 2025): 249
(e) In addition to the fine prescribed in subsection (a) of this section, 250
any person who violates any provision of the State Fire Prevention Code 251
or Fire Safety Code shall, (1) for a first offense, be fined not less than two 252
hundred dollars [or] nor more than one thousand dollars or be 253
imprisoned not more than six months, or both, and (2) for any 254
subsequent offense, be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more 255
than two thousand dollars or be imprisoned not more than six months, 256
or both. 257
Sec. 10. Section 29-394 of the general statutes is repealed and the 258
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 259
Any person who, by himself or his agent, fails to comply with the 260
written order of a building inspector for the provision of additional exit 261
facilities in a building, the repair or alteration of a building or the 262
removal of a building or any portion thereof, shall, (1) for a first offense, 263
be fined not less than two hundred dollars nor more than one thousand 264
dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or both, and (2) for any 265
subsequent offense, be fined not less than five hundred dollars nor more 266
than two thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than six months, or 267
both. 268
Sec. 11. Subsection (a) of section 29-306 of the general statutes is 269
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 270
1, 2025): 271
(a) (1) When the local fire marshal ascertains that there exists in any 272
building, or upon any premises, [(1)] (A) combustible or explosive 273 Substitute Bill No. 7119
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matter, dangerous accumulation of rubbish or any flammable material 274
especially liable to fire, that is so situated as to endanger life or property, 275
[(2)] (B) obstructions or conditions that present a fire hazard to the 276
occupants or interfere with their egress in case of fire, or [(3)] (C) a 277
condition in violation of the statutes relating to fire prevention or safety, 278
or any regulation made pursuant thereto, the remedy of which requires 279
construction or a change in structure, the local fire marshal shall order 280
such materials to be immediately removed or the conditions remedied 281
by the owner or occupant of such building or premises. Any such 282
removal or remedy shall be in conformance with all building codes, 283
ordinances, rules and regulations of the municipality involved. 284
(2) Any person, [firm or] corporation, partnership, trust or other legal 285
entity which violates any provision of this subsection shall, for a first 286
offense, be fined [not more than one] two hundred fifty dollars [or be 287
imprisoned not more than three months, or both, and, in addition, may 288
be fined fifty dollars a day for each day's continuance of each violation, 289
to be recovered in a proper action in the name of the state] and, for a 290
subsequent offense, be guilty of a class A misdemeanor. 291
Sec. 12. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2025) The State Building Inspector 292
and the Codes and Standards Committee shall, jointly, with the 293
approval of the Commissioner of Administrative Services, include in the 294
amendments to the State Building Code next adopted after October 1, 295
2025, provisions that: 296
(1) Allow a residential building consisting of not more than six stories 297
and containing less than twenty-five dwelling units to install and 298
maintain a passenger elevator that is of sufficient size to accommodate 299
two persons, one of whom uses a wheelchair; and 300
(2) Define the terms "high tunnels" and "hoop homes" and classify 301
such high tunnels and hoop homes as temporary agricultural structures. 302
Sec. 13. Section 29-253 of the general statutes is repealed and the 303
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 304 Substitute Bill No. 7119
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(a) [The] Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, the State 305
Building Code, including any amendment to said code adopted by the 306
State Building Inspector and the Codes and Standards Committee, shall 307
be the building code for all towns, cities and boroughs. 308
(b) Not later than July 1, 2026, the State Building Inspector and the 309
Codes and Standards Committee shall jointly develop and promulgate 310
a model ordinance that establishes a set of energy-efficiency 311
requirements with respect to buildings or building projects that are 312
more stringent than the energy-efficiency requirements of the State 313
Building Code. Said inspector and committee shall consider input from 314
the public and interested parties in the process of developing such 315
model ordinance. A town, city or borough may, by ordinance, adopt 316
such model ordinance and the adopted ordinance shall supersede the 317
energy-efficiency requirements of the State Building Code. The 318
remaining provisions of the State Building Code shall apply to such 319
town, city or borough. 320
[(b)] (c) Nothing in this section shall prevent any town, city or 321
borough from adopting an ordinance governing the demolition of 322
buildings deemed to be unsafe. As used in this subsection, "unsafe 323
building" means a building that constitutes a fire hazard or is otherwise 324
dangerous to human life or the public welfare. 325
Sec. 14. Section 29-195 of the general statutes is repealed and the 326
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 327
[Each] (a) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, each 328
elevator or escalator shall be thoroughly inspected by a department 329
elevator inspector at least once each eighteen months, except elevators 330
located in private residences shall be inspected upon the request of the 331
owner. More frequent inspections of any elevator or escalator shall be 332
made if the condition thereof indicates that additional inspections are 333
necessary or desirable. 334
(b) Each elevator at a privately owned multifamily housing project, 335
as defined in section 29-453a, shall be thoroughly inspected by a 336 Substitute Bill No. 7119
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department elevator inspector at least once each twelve months. For 337
each such inspection, the department elevator inspector shall submit a 338
report to the State Building Inspector that describes the status of each 339
elevator at such housing project, describes the status of any elevator 340
repair and estimates the duration of time during which any inoperable 341
elevator at such housing project is expected to remain inoperable. 342
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 from passage 29-349(a)
Sec. 2 from passage 29-357(b)
Sec. 3 from passage 29-357a(a)
Sec. 4 from passage 29-367(a)
Sec. 5 from passage 29-291a(b) and (c)
Sec. 6 October 1, 2025 47a-6a
Sec. 7 October 1, 2025 47a-7(a)
Sec. 8 October 1, 2025 29-254a
Sec. 9 October 1, 2025 29-291c(e)
Sec. 10 October 1, 2025 29-394
Sec. 11 October 1, 2025 29-306(a)
Sec. 12 October 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 13 October 1, 2025 29-253
Sec. 14 October 1, 2025 29-195
PS Joint Favorable Subst.