Substitute Senate Bill No. 296 amends the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act to enhance the powers of the Commissioner of Consumer Protection. Key provisions include the ability for the commissioner to issue investigative demands to individuals suspected of unlawful practices, requiring them to provide relevant information and documents. The bill also allows for the withholding of responses to these demands from public disclosure during the investigation. Additionally, it increases the maximum civil penalty from ten thousand dollars to twenty-five thousand dollars per consumer and specifies that the commissioner can impose orders for restitution or civil penalties after a hearing. The bill outlines procedures for hearings related to alleged violations, ensuring individuals can respond to complaints and present their case, while also granting the commissioner authority to seek enforcement of cease and desist orders and civil penalties through the court system. In addition to consumer protection measures, the bill introduces amendments related to gambling and online gaming. It allows the commissioner to withhold records related to investigations indefinitely until the investigation is closed, removing the previous eighteen-month limitation. The bill establishes that no person shall knowingly allow individuals under the legal age to participate in online casino gaming or sports wagering, classifying violations as a class C misdemeanor. It also expands the definition of cheating in gambling to include new forms of manipulation related to sports wagering, classifying cheating as a class D felony, with specific violations categorized as class B misdemeanors. Furthermore, the Attorney General is empowered to seek court orders against individuals violating gambling regulations, including those offering unlicensed sports wagering services, while preserving the rights of the commissioner and Attorney General under existing laws.

Statutes affected:
Raised Bill:
JUD Joint Favorable Substitute:
File No. 651:
Public Act No. 26-82: