An Act Concerning Consumer Protection And Safety.
SB 3 is a broad consumer protection and safety bill that makes several major changes to Connecticut law. It targets “junk fees” and misleading pricing by requiring businesses to advertise the full price of goods and services up front, with limited exceptions for taxes, certain mandatory gratuities, and variable charges like shipping. Violations are treated as unfair or deceptive trade practices under the state’s consumer protection laws.
The bill also creates new rules for connected devices with cameras or microphones, such as smart home appliances, televisions, and toys. Manufacturers and other providers would have to give clear disclosures at setup, allow consumers to decline activation in many cases, maintain reasonable security protections for collected personal information, and obtain opt-in consent before using recordings for targeted advertising. It also prohibits requiring manufacturers to build features specifically to enable law enforcement monitoring through these devices.
A major portion of the bill expands Connecticut’s “right to repair” framework for certain electronic and appliance products manufactured on or after July 1, 2026. Manufacturers would have to make documentation, parts, and tools available to owners and independent repair businesses on fair and reasonable terms for several years after production ends, while preserving trade secret protections and excluding categories such as motor vehicles, video game consoles, and off-road equipment. The bill also requires non-authorized repair providers to disclose that status and whether they use used or third-party parts, and it limits liability for manufacturers and authorized repair providers for damage caused by independent repairs, except for preexisting defects.
The bill further requires municipalities to use .gov internet domains by July 1, 2027, strengthens Connecticut’s price-gouging law by redefining prohibited emergency pricing and making enforcement exclusive to the Attorney General, and revises procedures for certain minor violations and infractions. It also updates automatic renewal and subscription laws by adding clearer disclosure, consent, annual reminder, and cancellation-access requirements, including online cancellation and telephone cancellation options.
In housing, the bill requires landlords to advertise rent using an all-in periodic rent figure that includes most recurring fees, with limited exceptions, and to provide a standardized rental terms summary form. It also adds civil penalties and attorney’s fees for violations and updates the criminal lockout statute to conform to the new tenant definition. Overall, the bill would significantly expand consumer disclosure obligations, repair access rights, rental transparency, and enforcement tools across several areas of state law.
The bill amends or adds provisions to Connecticut’s unfair trade practice, landlord-tenant, price-gouging, municipal internet domain, and criminal lockout laws, while creating new consumer protection requirements for pricing, subscriptions, connected devices, and repair access. It would primarily affect businesses selling goods and services to Connecticut residents, manufacturers of smart devices and repairable electronics/appliances, landlords, municipalities, and the Attorney General, who receives exclusive enforcement authority for certain provisions. Several sections are effective July 1, 2025 or July 1, 2026, with the rental-domain and housing provisions phased in through 2027.
The vote history suggests the bill had meaningful but not unanimous support. It advanced through committee and chamber votes with clear majorities in several stages, including strong House passage on the amended bill, but also notable opposition at each step. The pattern indicates broad interest in consumer protection and transparency, alongside substantial concern from some legislators about the bill’s scope and regulatory burden.
The most likely points of contention are the bill’s breadth and its impact on business practices. Retailers and service providers may object to the all-in pricing mandate, subscription cancellation requirements, and annual reminder obligations as compliance-heavy. Manufacturers and industry groups may resist the right-to-repair provisions, especially the required disclosure of parts, tools, and documentation, while privacy and technology stakeholders may focus on the connected-device disclosure and advertising restrictions. Landlords may also oppose the rental advertising and standardized lease requirements, while supporters are likely to emphasize transparency, consumer choice, and easier cancellation or repair access.