Sec. 21a-430. Donation bins. Placement in public place. Consent and notice required. Penalty.
Sec. 21a-430. Donation bins. Placement in public place. Consent and notice required. Penalty. (a) No person shall place or cause to be placed in a public place a donation bin for the donation of clothing or other articles unless (1) such person obtains advance written consent from the owner of such public place, or such owner's duly authorized agent, to place such donation bin, or cause such bin to be placed, in such public place, and (2) such bin contains a notice, in block letters at least two inches high, stating, (A) if the donation is for a charitable purpose, (i) the name of the nonprofit organization that will benefit from the donation, (ii) the name and contact information of the owner of such bin, and (iii) that the public may contact the Department of Consumer Protection for further information, or (B) if not intended for a charitable purpose, that such donation is not for a charitable purpose. Such notice shall be on the same side of the bin where the donation is likely to be made. As used in this section, “public place” means any area that is used or held out for use by the public, whether owned or operated by public or private interests, and “donation bin” means a large container commonly placed in a parking lot for the purpose of encouraging individuals to donate clothing or other items.
(b) Any person who violates any provision of subsection (a) of this section shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars.
(P.A. 09-119, S. 1; P.A. 11-247, S. 2; P.A. 18-141, S. 5; P.A. 25-111, S. 32.)
History: P.A. 11-247 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and amended same by adding requirement that notice contain name of bin's owner and adding Subpara. designators in Subdiv. (1), and added Subsec. (b) re fine of not more than $500; P.A. 18-141 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by adding provision re notice to include percentage of donated articles or proceeds of sale that nonprofit organization will receive from bin owner and contact information of bin owner, effective June 11, 2018; P.A. 25-111 substantially amended Subsec. (a) including by adding new Subdiv. (1) re advance written consent from owner or owner's authorized agent, designating as Subdiv. (2) existing provisions re notice, redesignating existing Subdiv. (1) as Subdiv. (2)(A) and existing Subdiv. (1)(A) as Subdiv. (2)(A)(i), deleting provision in redesignated Subdiv. (2)(A)(i) re disclosure of percentage of donated articles or proceeds therefrom to be received by nonprofit organization, redesignating existing Subdivs. (1)(B), (1)(C) and (2) as Subdiv. (2)(A)(ii), (A)(iii) and (B) and making technical and conforming changes.
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Sec. 21a-434. Prohibition against retailers refusing to accept cash or charging a higher price for cash payments. Exceptions. Regulations. (a) For purposes of this section, (1) “at retail” includes any retail transaction conducted in person, excluding any transaction: (A) By telephone, mail or the Internet, (B) for parking at a parking lot or a parking garage, (C) at a wholesale club that sells consumer goods and services through a membership model, (D) at a retail store selling consumer goods exclusively through a membership model that requires payment by means of an affiliated mobile device application, (E) for the rental of consumer goods, services or accommodations for which posting of collateral or security is typically required, (F) for consumer goods or services provided exclusively to employees and individuals other than customers who are authorized to be on the employer's premises, and (G) at a location where no individual is employed to provide in-person assistance with any offer or purchase of goods or services, and (2) “cash” means legal tender.
(b) Except as provided in subsection (c) or (d) of this section, a person selling or offering for sale goods or services at retail in this state shall not: (1) Refuse to accept cash as a form of payment for such goods or services, (2) post signs stating that cash payment is not accepted, or (3) charge a customer paying cash a higher price than such customer would pay using any other form of payment.
(c) A person selling or offering for sale goods or services at retail in this state shall be deemed to have satisfied the requirements established in subsection (b) of this section if the person provides a device to consumers that converts cash into a prepaid card, and:
(1) Such person and such person's device vendor do not, directly or indirectly:
(A) Require payment of any fee for initial receipt of such prepaid card;
(B) Charge any fee to use such prepaid card, including, but not limited to, (i) a fee charged to (I) check the balance of such prepaid card, or (II) deposit additional cash on such prepaid card, or (ii) any recurring fee;
(C) Require payment of a minimum deposit for such prepaid card in an amount that is greater than one dollar;
(D) Establish an expiration date relative to the underlying funds deposited on such prepaid card;
(E) Limit the number of transactions that may be completed by using such prepaid card; or
(F) Require a consumer to provide any personally identifiable information, including, but not limited to, a telephone number, electronic mail address or Social Security number, to receive or use such prepaid card;
(2) Such device shall, upon request, provide a printed receipt to a consumer indicating the amount of cash the consumer has deposited onto such prepaid card; and
(3) In the event such device malfunctions, the retail store where such device is located shall:
(A) Accept payment in cash from consumers until such device is restored and satisfies the requirements established in this subsection; and
(B) Post a sign in a conspicuous location on or immediately adjacent to such device stating that such retail store is required by law to accept cash if such device malfunctions.
(d) Nothing in subsections (a) to (c), inclusive, of this section shall be construed to apply to any service offered by a health care provider, as defined in section 19a-17b, or to any professional service, as defined in section 33-182a.
(e) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection may adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to implement the provisions of this section.
(P.A. 21-60, S. 1; P.A. 25-111, S. 33.)
History: P.A. 25-111 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by adding Subpara. (G) to redefine “at retail” to exclude location where no individual is employed to provide in-person assistance, added new Subsec. (c) re exception for prepaid card devices, added Subsec. (d) re exception for certain services, redesignated existing Subsec. (c) as Subsec. (e) and made technical and conforming changes, effective June 24, 2025.
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Sec. 21a-447. Prohibition re distributing, selling or offering smoke detection and warning equipment powered solely by a battery. Exceptions. Fines. (a)(1) Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, on and after October 1, 2025, no person shall distribute, sell or offer for sale any smoke detection and warning equipment that is powered solely by a battery unless such battery is nonreplaceable, nonremovable and capable of powering the equipment for not less than ten years.
(2) The provisions of subdivision (1) of this subsection shall not apply to any smoke detection and warning equipment that is powered by the electrical system of a building, fire alarm systems with smoke detection and warning equipment, fire alarm devices that connect to a panel, or devices that use a low-power radio frequency wireless communication signal.
(b) A person may sell smoke detection and warning equipment that does not meet the requirements of subsection (a) of this section on or after October 1, 2025, if such person (1) possesses such equipment on October 1, 2025, or (2) has placed an order for such equipment prior to October 1, 2025.
(c) Any person who violates the provisions of this section shall be fined not more than one hundred dollars for a first violation and not more than five hundred dollars for a subsequent violation.
(P.A. 25-123, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 25-123 effective July 8, 2025.
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