Rep. Jensen Touts Consumer Protection Bill

State Rep. Arnold Jensen (R-Oxford) attended a bill signing ceremony today marking the passage of Public Act 25-44, “An Act Concerning Consumer Protection and Safety.”  Rep. Jensen joined Gov. Ned Lamont and other supporters of the bill in Norwalk to mark the bill’s passage.

The bill requires businesses to list any fee or charge for services on all advertisements or displayed prices; prohibits businesses from imposing any mandatory gratuity or, omitting any mandatory gratuity, from any advertised or displayed prices; and prohibits businesses from omitting any applicable federal, state or local tax, or mandatory fee on advertisements or displayed prices.

Among other key provisions of the bill, are a new requirement that electronic or appliance manufacturers make products’ repair manuals, functional parts, and tools available to consumers (right to repair); requiring businesses that enter into a consumer agreement that includes an automatic renewal or continuous services provision to send consumers an annual reminder, and to enable consumers to stop the renewal or services through a website, email, or by telephone; and requiring landlords offering a unit for rent to include any fee, charge, or cost that the tenant must pay on a periodic basis.

“Consumers deserve to be informed and protected the greatest degree reasonably possible,” said Rep. Jensen. “This legislation makes great strides in doing so, in particular in the areas of eliminating “hidden fees” for consumers, more transparency with rental and housing issues, along with a right to repair (rather than being forced to replace) electronic devices. I was happy to support this bill throughout the legislative process.”

As a member of the legislature’s General Law Committee, Rep. Jensen supported the consumer protections outlines in the bill both in committee and again when the bill was voted on by the full House of Representatives.