Sec. 43-3. State Commissioner of Weights and Measures. Inspectors. Registration. Fees. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 43-3. State Commissioner of Weights and Measures. Inspectors. Registration. Fees. (a) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection shall be state Commissioner of Weights and Measures. The commissioner may appoint inspectors of weights and measures, with all the powers incident to that office, when directed so to act by the commissioner. Said commissioner shall take charge of the standards adopted, under the provisions of section 43-2, as the standards of the state, and cause them to be kept in a fire-proof building belonging to the state, or in a suitable place in his office, from which they shall not be removed except for repairs or for certification, and he shall take all other necessary precautions for their safekeeping. He shall maintain the state standards in good order and shall provide for their certification as prescribed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology at least once in ten years. He shall, at least once in two years, test by the state standards all standard weights, measures and other apparatus which belong to any municipality and shall seal such apparatus as is found to be accurate, by stamping thereon, with seals kept for that purpose, the letter "C" and the last two figures of the year of certification. He shall have general supervision of the weights, measures and weighing and measuring devices sold, offered for sale or used in the state. He, or the inspectors by his direction, shall, at least once in each year, test all scales, weights and measures used in checking the receipt or disbursement of supplies in each institution for the maintenance of which moneys are appropriated by the General Assembly, and he shall report, in writing, his findings to the supervisory board and to the executive officer of the institution concerned, and, at the request of such board or executive officer, he shall appoint, in writing, one or more employees, in the service of each institution, who shall act as special deputies for the purpose of checking the receipt or disbursement of supplies. He shall keep a complete record of the standards, balances and other apparatus belonging to the state, and take a receipt for the same from his successor in office. He, or the inspectors at his direction, shall, at least once in two years, inspect the work of the local sealers throughout the state and shall have power to inspect and ascertain the correctness of all weights, scales, beams, measures, instruments or mechanical devices for measuring, and tools, appliances or accessories connected with any such instruments or measures kept, offered or exposed for sale, sold, used or employed by any proprietor, agent, lessee or employee in proving the size, quantity, extent, area or measurement of quantities, things, produce or articles for distribution or consumption, offered or submitted by such person or persons for sale, hire or reward; and shall, from time to time, weigh or measure packages or amounts of commodities of any kind kept for the purpose of sale, offered for sale or sold, or in the process of delivery, in order to determine whether the same contain the amounts represented, and whether they are offered for sale or sold in accordance with law. They may, in the performance of their official duties, enter, without warrant, into or upon any stand, place, building or other premises, or stop any vendor, peddler, junk dealer or driver of any vehicle transporting or containing coal, coke, ice or other commodity, or any dealer, and require him to proceed to some place which they may specify, for the purpose of making tests. Said commissioner or the inspectors may seal any such weighing or measuring instrument or apparatus which is found to be correct and may seize and destroy any incorrect weight, measure or weighing or measuring instrument. The commissioner shall issue, from time to time, regulations prescribing specifications and tolerances for commercial weights and measures and weighing and measuring devices and regulations for the guidance of municipal sealers, which regulations shall govern the procedure to be followed by such officers in the discharge of their duties. The commissioner may by regulation exempt specific duties and restrict specific powers of the municipal sealers appointed under the provisions of section 43-6 thereby reserving exclusively to the commissioner within the municipality the duties exempted and powers restricted. The commissioner may adopt regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, prescribing fees to be charged for any calibration services performed by the Department of Consumer Protection, provided no fee shall be charged for services provided in accordance with the provisions of section 43-50. Whenever any municipality required by section 43-6 to appoint a sealer of weights and measures fails to do so or when a municipal sealer appointed under the provisions of said section fails or neglects to perform his duties, the Commissioner of Weights and Measures may direct his inspectors to perform such duties and the clerk or comptroller of such municipality shall, upon notification and request by the Commissioner of Weights and Measures, reimburse the state for the cost of such services rendered.

      (b) Notwithstanding any regulations to the contrary, the following weighing and measuring devices shall be registered annually with the commissioner and the commissioner shall charge the following annual registration fees: (1) Each motor fuel dispenser, twenty-five dollars; (2) each large weighing or measuring device, one hundred twenty-five dollars; (3) each medium weighing or measuring device, fifty dollars; and (4) each small weighing or measuring device, fifteen dollars.

      (1949 Rev., S. 6747; 1955, S. 2876d; 1959, P.A. 152, S. 57; 412, S. 38, 42; 1969, P.A. 810, S. 1; P.A. 77-98; P.A. 86-156, S. 1; P.A. 90-125, S. 3; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6, S. 69, 117; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(c), (d); P.A. 04-169, S. 17; 04-189, S. 1.)

      History: 1959 acts deleted reference to county sealers and changed "city and borough" to "municipality" and "municipal" and replaced commissioner of food and drugs with commissioner of consumer protection; 1969 act authorized commissioner to exempt specific duties and restrict specific powers of municipal sealers, thereby reserving such duties and powers to himself, and authorized commissioner to direct his inspectors to perform sealer's duties when municipality fails to appoint a sealer or when sealer fails or neglects to perform duties, requiring that municipality reimburse the state for cost of services rendered; P.A. 77-98 restated provision re certification by National Bureau of Standards; P.A. 86-156 authorized the commissioner to adopt regulations prescribing fees to be charged for calibration services; P.A. 90-125 made technical change, substituting National Institute of Standards and Technology for National Bureau of Standards; May Sp. Sess. P.A. 92-6 added new Subsec. (b) to require annual registration and establish fees for weighing and measuring devices; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 and P.A. 04-169 replaced Commissioner and Department of Consumer Protection with Commissioner and Department 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.

      See Sec. 43-24 re testing of machines used in weighing milk or cream.

      See Sec. 43-29 re location of scales and fees charged for scales located outside state.