Sec. 20-540. Definitions. Certificate of registration. Requirements. Limitations. Suspension. Revocation. Civil penalties.
Sec. 20-540. Definitions. Certificate of registration. Requirements. Limitations. Suspension. Revocation. Civil penalties. (a) As used in this section and section
20-541:
(1) "Gas service work" means the repair, alteration or maintenance of equipment,
appliances, accessories or fixtures within or adjacent to a building or structure in connection with the utilization of gas supplied by a public service company.
(2) "Public service gas technician" means an employee of a public service company,
as defined in section 16-1, who is engaged in the supervision or performance of gas
service work.
(b) Notwithstanding any provisions of chapter 393 to the contrary, a public service
gas technician shall be issued a certificate of registration by the Department of Consumer
Protection in lieu of any license which otherwise might be required under said chapter,
which shall entitle the holder of such certificate to perform gas service work only as
provided in this section, provided the public service company which employs the public
service gas technician certifies to the Department of Consumer Protection that the employee has obtained such training and experience deemed necessary by the public service
company to perform gas service work included in such employee's job functions. All
public service gas technicians employed by a public service company prior to July 1,
1995, who have completed a gas public service company's training program or are
participating in such a program on said date shall be issued a certificate of registration
upon the payment of the fee required in subsection (h) of this section.
(c) The content and duration of the training and experience programs provided by
the public service company shall be relevant to the duties of the employee and shall be
approved biennially by the Labor Department. In reviewing the programs and training
provided by a public service company, the Labor Department shall consider the specialization of the employees of the company, the employee's previous company training,
the service record of the company, the experience of the company in training employees
to perform gas service work and the quality assurance measures used by the company.
(d) An employee enrolled in the company's training programs shall be issued a
trainee's certificate by such company valid for the duration of the training program and
may perform gas service work only under the supervision of an employee of the public
service company who is a registered public service gas technician or holds a journeyman's license.
(e) A public service company employing a public service gas technician shall inform
the Department of Consumer Protection upon the change in job description or termination of any registered public service gas technician previously certified pursuant to
subsection (b) of this section and upon the issuance or termination of a trainee's certificate provided to an employee pursuant to subsection (d) of this section.
(f) A registered public service gas technician or employee of a public service company issued a trainee's certificate by such company may only perform such work on
behalf of such public service company and only while in the direct employment of such
public service company. Such registration or trainee's certificate shall be immediately
relinquished upon termination of employment from such public service company.
(g) A registered public service gas technician may not supervise any duly registered
apprentice performing work under a permit issued pursuant to subdivision (4) of subsection (a) of section 20-334a.
(h) The public service gas technician's registration shall expire annually. Upon
application for a license, the applicant shall pay to the department a nonrefundable
application fee of forty-five dollars. The fee for registration as a public service gas
technician shall be the same fee as that charged for a journeyman's license under section
20-335.
(i) The Department of Consumer Protection may suspend or revoke a certificate
granted or issued by it pursuant to this section if the holder of such certificate is convicted
of a felony, is grossly incompetent, engages in malpractice or unethical conduct or
knowingly makes false, misleading or deceptive representations regarding his work.
Prior to such suspension or revocation, such holder shall be given notice and an opportunity for hearing as provided in regulations adopted by the Commissioner of Consumer
Protection. Any person whose certificate has been suspended may, after ninety days,
apply to the department to have such certificate reinstated.
(j) The Department of Consumer Protection may, after notice and hearing, impose
a civil penalty on any person who (1) engages in or practices gas service work without
having first obtained a trainee's certificate or a certificate of registration for such work,
(2) wilfully employs a person who does not have a certificate for such work, (3) wilfully
and falsely pretends to qualify to engage in or practice such work, or (4) engages in or
practices such work after the expiration of his certificate. Such penalty shall be in an
amount not more than five hundred dollars for a first violation of this subsection, not
more than seven hundred fifty dollars for a second violation and not more than one
thousand five hundred dollars for each violation of this subsection occurring less than
three years after a second or subsequent violation of this subsection.
(k) The Department of Consumer Protection may act in accordance with the provisions of subdivision (7) of section 21a-7 in the case of a person who: (1) Knowingly
engages in fraud or material deception in order to obtain a certificate to perform gas
service work or doing so in order to aid another in obtaining such a certificate; (2)
performs work beyond the scope of such a certificate; (3) illegally uses or transfers such
a certificate; (4) performs incompetent or negligent gas service work; (5) knowingly
makes false, misleading or deceptive representations to the public regarding gas service
work to be performed; or (6) violates any provision of the general statutes or any regulation adopted thereunder, relating to his profession or occupation.
(l) In lieu of displaying a contractor's license number, each public service company
authorized pursuant to this section to employ registered public service gas technicians
shall display its name, logo or other trademark which clearly identifies the company on
all commercial vehicles used in its business and in a conspicuous manner on all printed
advertisements, bid proposals, contracts, invoices and on all stationery used in its
business.
(P.A. 95-295, S. 1, 3; P.A. 96-259, S. 2; P.A. 98-3, S. 68; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(c), (d); P.A. 04-169, S.
17; 04-189, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 95-295 effective July 6, 1995; P.A. 96-259 amended Subsec. (h) to make the registration expire annually
and provided for payment of a nonrefundable application fee of $45 payable upon application for a license; P.A. 98-3 made
technical changes; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 and P.A. 04-169 replaced Commissioner and Department of Consumer
Protection with Commissioner and Department of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and
Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004.
See Sec. 51-164m re infractions.
P.A. 95-295 cited. 43 CA 196.