2013 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 29 - Public Safety and State Police
Chapter 541 - Building, Fire and Demolition Codes. Fire Marshals and Fire Hazards. Safety of Public and Other Structures
Section 29-359 - (Formerly Sec. 29-99). Proof of financial responsibility. Liability insurance policy.

(a) Before any person, firm or corporation or any agent or employee thereof may conduct a fireworks display or use pyrotechnics for indoor special effects, such person, firm or corporation shall furnish proof of financial responsibility to satisfy claims for damages on account of any physical injury or property damage which may be suffered by any person by reason of any act or omission on the part of such person, firm or corporation, any agent or employee thereof, any independent contractor firing the display or using such pyrotechnics, any fair or exposition association, any sponsoring organization or committee, any owner or lessee of any premises used by the named insured and any public authority granting a permit to the named insured, in the form of a liability insurance policy evidenced by a certificate of insurance filed with the Insurance Commissioner at least fifteen days prior to the date of display or use and acceptable to the commissioner. Such policy shall cover public liability arising out of the operation of the fireworks display or from the use of pyrotechnics for special effects in the minimum amount of one million dollars per accident for bodily injury and property damage, and shall not limit coverage within the applicable statutory period of covered liability. The insurer issuing such policy shall agree in writing to deliver to the Insurance Commissioner not less than ten days’ written notice of any cancellation of such insurance which is to become effective prior to the termination of the display or use.

(b) The Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection shall adopt regulations in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 defining the term “pyrotechnics” for purposes of subsection (a) of this section.

(1955, S. 2009d; P.A. 73-484, S. 1, 2; P.A. 75-382, S. 1, 4; P.A. 76-30, S. 5, 6; P.A. 77-614, S. 163, 610; P.A. 79-317, S. 1, 2; P.A. 80-482, S. 185, 348; P.A. 85-8; P.A. 11-51, S. 90; P.A. 13-247, S. 200; 13-256, S. 7.)

History: P.A. 73-484 rephrased provisions to specify that proof of financial responsibility is to be a liability insurance policy without exception and set forth required minimum coverages; P.A. 75-382 increased minimum coverage: Per person, from $50,000 to $100,000, per accident for bodily injury from $300,000 to $1,000,000 and per accident for property damage from $50,000 to $100,000; P.A. 76-30 required that certificate of insurance be filed with insurance commissioner at least 15 days before date of display; P.A. 77-614 placed insurance commissioner within the department of business regulation and made insurance department a division within the department of business regulation, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-317 made provisions applicable to independent contractors who fire displays, fair or exposition associations, sponsors, owners or lessees of premises used and public authorities who grant permits, deleted per person minimum coverage requirement and included property damage under per accident coverage requirement previously applicable only to bodily injury, specifying that policy “shall not limit coverage within the applicable statutory period of covered liability”; P.A. 80-482 deleted reference to abolished department of business regulation, restoring insurance division as an independent department; Sec. 29-99 transferred to Sec. 29-359 in 1983; P.A. 85-8 required persons using pyrotechnics for indoor special effects to furnish proof of financial responsibility in the form of a liability insurance policy prior to use and added Subsec. (b) requiring public safety commissioner to adopt regulations defining “pyrotechnics”; pursuant to P.A. 11-51, “Commissioner of Public Safety” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Construction Services” in Subsec. (b), effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 13-256 amended Subsec. (b) to replace “Commissioner of Construction Services” with “Commissioner of Emergency Services and Public Protection”.