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Connecticut Law and Legislation
Administrative Code | Adoption | Bill to Law | Building Code | Capital Punishment | Cemeteries | Charters & Ordinances |Child Support Guidelines | Common Law Marriage | Condominium Act | Constitutional History | Consumer Issues | Contracts/Rescission | Court Cases | Courts | Credit Cards | Crimes | Current Legislation | Debt Collectors | Drunk Driving | Eminent Domain | Executive Orders | FAQ's - Legal | Fire Code | Fireworks | General Assembly | Gift Cards | Historical Documents | Intellectual Property | Judges | Legislators | Legislative History | Lemon Law | Native Americans | New Laws | Nurse Practice Act | Open Space Law | Public & Special Acts | Regulations | Seat Belts | Security Deposit | Smoking Ban | Statutes | Vital Records | Wine
GENERAL LEGAL RESOURCES:
ABA LAWLINK: Links to federal, state, and international legal sources as well as information on legal education and employment.
HEIN ONLINE: Comprehensive historical collection of legal and law-related material, including many North American legal journals. [Available only at the State Library building.]
HG.org: Worldwide legal directories, specializing in international law, with legal links to 230 countries.
LAW LIBRARY OF CONGRESS: Guides and links to international, multinational, US federal and state legal information.
LEGAL INFORMATION INSTITUTE: Comprehensive site providing access to core legal materials by jurisdiction or topic. Includes links to international legal publications.
LEGALTRAC: Index for all major law reviews, legal newspapers, law specialty publications and bar association journals. [Available only at the State Library building.]
WASHLAW LEGAL RESEARCH ON THE WEB: US State and federal legal materials, with links to forms, discussion groups, and other legal topics.
WESTLAW: Online legal research service providing access to a comprehensive collection of current and historical state and federal statutes, case law materials, periodicals, law reviews, and other legal resources. [Available only at the State Library building.]
ZIMMERMAN'S RESEARCH GUIDE: Comprehensive encyclopedia of legal information and web links, arranged by topic.
RESOURCES BY TOPIC:
Administrative Code
The full set of Connecticut state agency regulations (sometimes called the
administrative code) is not available on the Web. Some Connecticut state
agencies have mounted selected regulations on their individual Web sites.
A complete set of regulations in loose-leaf format (18 binders) or individual
titles may be purchased from the
Commission on Official
Legal Publications.
Adoption Records
There are 14 categories of non-identifying information that must be given
to adult adopted persons by the child-placing agency upon request. They
are specified in Connecticut General Statute section
45a-746. For the release of information that identifies or tends to
identify biological relatives, an adult adoptee must apply in person or
in writing to the child-placing agency, under CGS
45a-751. Ordinarily, the relatives must give their consent before the
agency may release the information. Access to birth certificates of adopted
persons is governed by CGS
7-53.
A law passed in 2006 (PA
06-71, Senate Bill 4) would have required the Department of Public Health
to give adopted adults copies of their sealed original birth certificates
on request, and would have allowed biological parents to indicate whether
they want to be contacted by their adopted children. This law would have
applied to adoptions completed on and after October 1, 2006, but was
vetoed by then-Governor Rell, and the General Assembly failed to override
the veto, so the law did not take effect.
See also Judicial Branch Law Libraries pathfinder on
Adoption in Connecticut.
Building Code
The
building codes adopted by Connecticut and how to obtain copies. Also
a
history of the state building code in Connecticut, prepared by the Office
of the State Building Inspector. Online versions of the Connecticut
building codes have been made available by
PublicResourc.org in
bulk format, which takes a while to load.
Capital Punishment
Information about Capital
Punishment in Connecticut including state statutes, recent case
law, the final report of the Death Penalty Commission and a selected chronology
of the Michael Ross case.
Cemeteries
The Connecticut laws relating to removing headstones from, or defacing headstones
in, Connecticut cemeteries are found in the Connecticut General Statutes
at:
CGS 19a-315a Use of ancient burial place
CGS 19a-315b Protection of grave markers
CGS 53a-218 Interference with a cemetery or burial ground: Class
C Felony
CGS 53a-219
Unlawful possession or sale of gravestones: Class
D Felony
and information on the
WPA project
to record information from headstones in Connecticut cemeteries during the
1930's (Hale Collection.)
Charters and Ordinances
The Judicial Branch Law Libraries have created a
table with
online access to Connecticut town charters and ordinances.
Child Support Guidelines
The current edition of the
Connecticut Child Support Guidelines, effective August 1, 2005.
Common Law Marriage
A
guide to resources on marriage law in Connecticut, prepared
by the Judicial Branch law libraries.
Section 6 covers common law marriage.
Condominium Law
Links to the
Condominium
Act (Chapter 825)and the
Common Interest
Ownership Act (Chapter 828, for condominium associations formed after
January 1, 1984) chapters of the Connecticut General Statutes.
See also the Web site of
the Connecticut chapter of the Community Associations Institute for
FAQ's and information
on
Rights and Responsibilities of community homeowners and association
managers.
Constitutional History
Information and history on Connecticut's four
state constitutions.
Consumer Issues
Links to: the Connecticut
Dept. of Consumer
Protection Web page;
Fact Sheets for Connecticut consumers;
Consumer complaints; Connecticut state
consumer
protection laws; Connecticut Attorney General's Office
consumer issues page; Connecticut Attorney General's Office
Top Ten consumer myths; consumer information from the federal government,
including the
Consumer Action Website; and the
Better Business Bureau of
Connecticut.
Contracts - Right of Rescission
Office of Legislative Research
report #99-R-0262 lists Connecticut state laws that allow a three-day
right of rescission for particular types of consumer contracts: Home Solicitation
Sales Act (CGS
42-135a); Home Improvement Act (CGS
20-429); buying club agreements (CGS
42-310); dating service agreements (CGS
42-321); diet program agreements (CGS
42-282); home food service plans (CGS
21a-401); health club membership agreements (CGS
21a-217); and time share purchase agreements (CGS
42-103y). Also, the federal
Regulation Z allows a three-day right of rescission in some refinancing
situations.
Court Cases
Where to find
Connecticut
Supreme and Appellate Court cases or
Superior Court cases
on the web.
Courts
Connecticut Judicial Department, a comprehensive history and bibliography.
Information and history on
Connecticut's courts.
Listing of
Superior Court
docket books (court calendars) arranged by county, mostly from the
second half of the nineteenth century.
Credit Cards
see also Debt Collectors
Consumer Credit Education information from the Connecticut Department
of Banking
FTC Facts for Consumers about
Choosing and Using Credit Cards
Link to request your free
annual credit report , and an
explanation from the FTC
Crimes - Fines and Penalties
A table
showing the fines and penalties for different classifications of
crimes in Connecticut.
Current Legislative Information
Is available on the Connecticut General Assembly's
Homepage.
Debt Collectors
see also Credit Cards
Information about
consumer collection agencies from the Connecticut Department of Banking
CT State Regulations concerning collection practices of creditors (Regulations
of CT State Agencies, §36a-647-1 et seq) and consumer collection agencies
(Regulations of CT State Agencies, §36a-809-1 et seq)
Complaint
form to file with the CT Banking Dept.
Information from the FTC for consumers in debt
More
options for consumers in debt from the FTC
Facts for consumers about
Fair Debt Collection
Statutes of limitations for debt collection (varies by state); see
also
this site for additional information.
Drunk Driving
A
summary of Connecticut's drunk driving laws and penalties, compiled
by the Department of Motor Vehicles. Includes information on
administrative sanctions and
criminal penalties .
Eminent Domain
A
resource page for eminent
domain issues in Connecticut and the U.S.
Executive Orders
Governor Meskill's Executive Orders Number
Three
and Seventeen
, regarding equal opportunity in state contracts, the
Guidelines and Rules implementing
E.O. #3, as well as Governor Rowland's Executive Order Number
Sixteen about violence in the workplace, and then-Governor Rell’s Executive
Order
Number 7B concerning the State Contracting Standards Board. Copies of
Executive Orders from all Gubernatorial administrations are available at
the Connecticut State Library. Call 860-757-6570 for more information.
Fire Safety Code and Regulations
Codes and regulations adopted by Connecticut with regard to fire safety.
Also a
history of the Connecticut Fire Safety Code.
Fireworks
All fireworks except for sparklers and fountains are illegal in Connecticut.
Violators are subject to a fine of up to $100 or up to 90 days in jail or
both. Only persons sixteen years of age or older can buy, sell, use or possess
sparklers or fountains. See Connecticut General Statutes section
CGS 29-357. Anyone conducting or sponsoring a supervised display of
fireworks must get a permit from the
State Fire Marshal.
Frequently Asked Questions on
Legal Topics
FAQ's from CT state agencies on legal and consumer issues.
General Assembly Members
A database of Connecticut legislators
from 1776 to the present, searchable by name or town, and a
history
of the Connecticut legislature called “An Orderly and Decent Government,”
from the Connecticut Humanities Council.
Find Your Legislator ("Who
Represents You")
Gift Certificates and Gift Cards
The new Connecticut law (CGS
3-56a,
CGS 3-65b, and
CGS
42-460) about gift cards and gift certificates; a 2007
summary
of the law prepared by the Office of Legislative Research; links
to the
Dept. of Consumer Protection Web page on gift cards; the
Treasurer's page
with a Consumer Advisory about particular mall gift cards; and a
Consumer alert from the FTC about buying, giving, and using gift cards.
Questions regarding gift card transactions in Connecticut may be addressed
to the Department of Consumer Protection, (860) 713-6050.
How a Bill Becomes a Law in Connecticut
The basic civics
lesson (from the CT General Assembly's site), plus a
tutorial
prepared by Connecticut State Library Bill Room staff.
Intellectual Property
This Connecticut State Library
Intellectual
Property Research Guide leads you to collections in our Library and key information on
the Web. See also the State Library's
Intellectual Property Policy.
Judges
Biographical information about
Connecticut
judges, reproduced from memorials printed in volumes of the Connecticut
Reports.
Legislators
A database of Connecticut legislators
from 1776 to the present, searchable by name or town, and a
history
of the Connecticut legislature called “An Orderly and Decent Government,”
from the Connecticut Humanities Council.
Find Your Legislator ("Who
Represents You")
Legislative History
How to obtain
legislative history
for Connecticut acts, the proper
citation format,
and a guide to looking at legislative history
online, prepared by the CT Judicial Branch.
Legislative History Process tutorial, prepared by Connecticut State Library Bill Room staff.
Lemon Law
Information from the Department of Consumer Protection on Connecticut's
lemon law
for new cars; the
state
law chapter; a
report on the Lemon Law Surcharge and Filing Fee from the Office
of Legislative Research; the state law chapter on the lemon law for
used
cars and a
report
from the Office of Legislative Research on the used car lemon law in
Connecticut, Massachusetts, and New York.
Native Americans
Legal resources on
Native Americans at the State Library.
New Laws
Summaries of some of the most significant, far-reaching, and publicly debated
acts adopted by the General Assembly in its 2008 regular session.
Nurse Practice Act
The text of the
Nurse Practice Act, within the current Connecticut General Statutes.
Open Space Law
The text of Public Act 490 from 1963, Connecticut's
law on taxation of open space lands,
within the current Connecticut
General Statutes. (CGS
12-107e).
Public and Special Acts
Links to sources of
legislative information,
and an
index
to acts passed from 1996 to 2008. Acts from 1988 to the present are available
through the Connecticut General Assembly's
Web site. Copies of these
and earlier public and special acts may also be requested from the State
Library's Law Unit at 860-757-6590. There may be a fee for this service.
Regulations
The full set of Connecticut state agency regulations (sometimes called the
administrative code) is not currently freely available on the Web. Some
Connecticut state agencies have mounted selected regulations on their individual
Web sites. A complete set of regulations in loose-leaf format (18 binders)
or individual titles may be purchased from the
Commission on Official
Legal Publications.
Seat Belts and Child Restraint
Systems
Link to Connecticut General Statutes section
CGS 14-100a
requiring the use of front-seat seat belts, and child restraint
systems for children.
It (1) requires a child restraint system for all children under age seven
or who weigh less than 60 pounds, regardless of age;
(2) requires any child under age one or weighing less than 20 pounds to
be transported in a rear-facing position in his child restraint system;
and (3) requires children restrained in booster seats to be anchored by
a seat belt that includes a shoulder belt.
See also:
Connecticut Department of Transportation Web page on child safety seats
Security Deposit Interest Rate
Information on
rental security deposits, including the required
interest rate.
Smoking ban
Information on Connecticut's new statewide smoking ban, and the
Connecticut General Statutes (CGS
31-40q,
CGS 31-40s, and
CGS 19a-342) which enacted it.
Statutes
Links to the
2009 Connecticut
General Statutes, Public and Special Acts Indexes, conversion tables,
and more.
Vital Records
Links to Connecticut's vital records access law, within the current Connecticut
General Statutes:
·
CGS 7-51
·
CGS 7-51a
Information on where to write for Connecticut vital records (births, marriages, and deaths.)
Wine
A
report by the Office of Legislative Research on direct shipment
of wine to consumers, following the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Granholm
v. Heald.
Compiled and updated by Law/Legislative Reference Unit. Last revised May 2009.