2019 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 21a - Consumer Protection
Chapter 417 - General Provisions. Pure Food and Drugs
Section 21a-79a - Program for test audit of alternative electronic retail pricing systems.

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of section 21a-79 and any regulations adopted under said section, the Commissioner of Consumer Protection may, within available appropriations, establish a program for the test audit of alternative electronic retail pricing systems that maintain and display the item and unit price of consumer commodities, as defined in subsection (a) of section 21a-79. The commissioner shall select one or more retailers to participate in any such program. A retailer participating in the program shall conduct business from one or more stores in this state. The retailer shall submit to the commissioner a written request to participate in the program and pay all costs associated with a test audit under such program. The retailer shall implement a system to be test audited that, at a minimum, (1) maintains the retailer's current item prices and unit prices for each product in an electronic database, (2) prints shelf tags that meet all applicable requirements for item pricing and unit pricing, and (3) operates in such a way that (A) price decreases are immediately transmitted directly to the point of sale, and (B) price increases are transmitted to the point of sale only after such shelf tags are posted and such posting has been verified in the electronic database.

(b) The commissioner may designate a private auditing organization to conduct any such test audit and shall charge the cost of such test audit to the selected retailer or retailers. No such test audit shall be conducted for a period exceeding twelve months. During the test audit, such store shall be exempt from the provisions of subdivision (1) of subsection (b) of section 21a-79 and any applicable regulations adopted under said section.

(P.A. 98-211, S. 3; P.A. 01-43; 01-195, S. 172, 181; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(c); P.A. 04-189, S. 1; P.A. 16-117, S. 5.)

History: P.A. 01-43 amended Subsec. (a) by changing “October 1, 1998,” to “October 1, 2001,” renumbering Subdivs. (3)(A) to (3)(C)(ii) as Subdivs. (1) to (3)(B) and making technical changes and amended Subsec. (b) by expanding applicability to multiple retailers and extending audit period from 6 months to 12 months; P.A. 01-195 made a technical change in Subsec. (a), effective July 11, 2001; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Consumer Protection with Commissioner 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; P.A. 16-117 amended Subsec. (a) to replace “pilot program” with “program”, delete references to October 1, 2001, and make technical changes and deleted former Subsec. (c) re report, effective July 1, 2016.