Connecticut HB 7118: AN ACT CONCERNING GUIDES ISSUED BY ELECTRIC VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES IN ELECTRIC VEHICLES.

Bill Text

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General Assembly Raised Bill No. 7118
January Session, 2025 LCO No. 5450

Referred to Committee on PUBLIC SAFETY AND SECURITY

Introduced by:
(PS)

AN ACT CONCERNING GUIDES ISSUED BY ELECTRIC VEHICLE
MANUFACTURERS FOR EXTINGUISHING FIRES IN ELECTRIC
VEHICLES.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:

Section 1. (NEW) (Effective October 1, 2025) (a) As used in this section, 1
"electric vehicle" has the same meaning as provided in section 16-19eee 2
of the general statutes. 3
(b) Not later than January 1, 2027, each manufacturer licensed under 4
the provisions of section 14-67a of the general statutes, as amended by 5
this act, who offers electric vehicles for sale in this state shall issue a 6
guide for extinguishing fires in electric vehicles that is specific to each 7
electric vehicle model offered for sale in this state by such manufacturer. 8
Each such guide shall include, but need not be limited to, information 9
on how to address chemical chain reactions, prevent the reignition of a 10
battery fire inside the electric vehicle and safely store the electric vehicle 11
in the event that such electric vehicle has a damaged battery. The 12
manufacturer shall provide each such guide to the State Fire Marshal 13
and the State Fire Marshal shall distribute each such guide to each local 14

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fire marshal in the state. Upon receipt of each such guide, the local fire 15
marshal shall distribute such guide to the persons providing fire 16
protection in each town, city or borough under the local fire marshal's 17
jurisdiction. 18
Sec. 2. Section 14-67a of the general statutes is repealed and the 19
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2025): 20
(a) No person, firm or corporation shall engage in the business of 21
manufacturing motor vehicles for sale in this state without having been 22
issued a manufacturer's license, which license shall expire biennially on 23
the last day of June. Application for such license or renewal thereof may 24
be made to the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles in such form as the 25
commissioner shall require. The commissioner may require with such 26
application all of the following, which [he] the commissioner may 27
consider in determining the fitness of such applicant to engage in 28
business as a manufacturer of motor vehicles for sale in this state: 29
(1) Information relating to the applicant's solvency and [his] financial 30
standing; 31
(2) A certified copy of any warranty made by the manufacturer or any 32
other party in whom title to such motor vehicle may have been vested 33
prior to possession of such motor vehicle being transferred to a person 34
licensed under the provisions of this section; 35
(3) A copy of the applicant's standard franchise agreement and all 36
supplements thereto, together with a list of the applicant's authorized 37
dealers or distributors in this state and their [address] addresses. Such 38
applicant shall notify the commissioner immediately of the 39
appointment of any additional dealers or distributors or any revisions 40
of or additions to the basic franchise agreement on file with [him] the 41
commissioner, or of any individual dealer or distributor supplements to 42
such agreement; 43
(4) A certified copy of the delivery and preparation obligations of the 44

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applicant's new car dealers, which obligations shall constitute such new 45
car dealers' only responsibility for product liability between the dealer 46
and the manufacturer; 47
(5) An affidavit stating the rates such applicant pays or agrees to pay 48
any authorized new car dealer for parts and labor used and expended 49
by such authorized new car dealer for the manufacturer under delivery 50
and preparation obligations under the new car warranty; 51
(6) On and after January 1, 2027, an affidavit stating that such 52
applicant has provided to the State Fire Marshal any guide required 53
pursuant to the provisions of section 1 of this act; 54
[(6)] (7) A biennial license fee of two thousand three hundred dollars, 55
which fee shall not be subject to refund or proration; and 56
[(7)] (8) Any other pertinent matter commensurate with the 57
safeguarding of the public interest. 58
(b) An application for renewal of such license filed with the 59
commissioner after the expiration date of such license shall be 60
accompanied by a late fee of two hundred fifty dollars. The 61
commissioner shall not renew any license under this section which has 62
expired for more than forty-five days. 63
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:

Section 1 October 1, 2025 New section
Sec. 2 October 1, 2025 14-67a

Statement of Purpose:
To (1) require each motor vehicle manufacturer that offers electric
vehicles for sale in this state to (A) issue a guide for extinguishing fires
in electric vehicles that is spe