Sec. 53-302a. Employment of labor on Sunday prohibited; exceptions. Sunday sales. - Connecticut Statutes

      Sec. 53-302a. Employment of labor on Sunday prohibited; exceptions. Sunday sales. No person, firm or corporation shall engage in work, labor or business, or employ others in work, labor or business on Sunday, except the following:

      (a) Any enterprise whose activities are conducted solely for charitable or religious purposes, or which are service organizations.

      (b) Any federal, state, municipal or local governmental department or agency, or its employees, acting in an official capacity.

      (c) Any person, firm or corporation performing acts necessary for the public safety or health.

      (d) The sale or furnishing of any of the following items of personal property or services by any person, firm or corporation in any of the businesses enumerated in subsection (e), provided such person, firm or corporation sells such products or furnishes such services in the ordinary course of its business: (1) Drugs, medical and surgical supplies, or any object purchased on the prescription of a licensed practitioner for the treatment of a patient; (2) toilet articles or any article used for personal cleanliness and hygiene; (3) baby supplies; (4) ice; (5) newspapers, magazines, artists' supplies, films, stationery and greeting cards; (6) any food products intended for human or animal consumption; (7) gasoline, fuel additives, lubricants, antifreeze and tires; (8) emergency repair or replacement parts for motor vehicles, boats and aircraft; (9) emergency plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical repair and replacement parts and equipment; (10) cooking, heating and lighting fuel; (11) tobacco products; and (12) antiques.

      (e) The operation of any of the following businesses, provided such businesses may sell only those items sold in the ordinary course of business of such businesses, unless otherwise provided in this subsection, by any person, firm or corporation: (1) (A) Retail food stores, in which no more than five persons, including the owner, if owner-operated, are employed at one time in the conduct of business and which have less than five thousand square feet not including storage facilities and ground space; (B) retail drug stores, provided such stores shall be limited to the sale of items authorized in subdivisions (1) to (6), inclusive, and (11) of subsection (d) of this section; and (C) servicing of motor vehicles, motorcycles, boats and aircraft, but limited to the sale of items listed in subdivision (7) and (8) of subsection (d) of this section, and emergency repairs to motor vehicles, motorcycles, boats and aircraft; and provided further, each such store shall post in such manner as to be clearly visible and easily read by customers a list of the classes of goods which may be sold in or services rendered in such establishments; (2) restaurants, cafeterias and other prepared food service organizations, whether food is prepared for consumption on or off the premises where sold; (3) hotels, motels and other lodging facilities; (4) medical services and other professional services on an emergency basis; (5) ambulances and funeral services; (6) public services and utilities, manufacturing, processing and plant operations of such public services and utilities; (7) transportation by whatever means and supporting facilities; (8) cold storage warehousing; (9) ice manufacturing and distributing; (10) necessary inspection, repair and maintenance of equipment and machinery; (11) plant and industrial protection services and janitorial services; (12) any business or industry which by its nature is required to be continuous; (13) publishing, including the distribution of magazines and newspapers; (14) motion picture theaters and the production of radio and television programs and theatrical entertainments; (15) sports, athletic events and the operation of entertainment and recreational facilities and libraries; (16) sale or rental of boats, and swimming, fishing and boating equipment; (17) scenic, historic and tourist attractions; (18) sale or lease of noncommercial property and mobile manufactured homes; (19) use by public of coin-operated laundries, of coin-operated dry cleaners, or other vending machines; (20) licensed commercial kennels or pet shops; (21) agriculture, including the operation of nurseries and dairies; (22) athletic shops associated with and on the premises of athletic facilities which operate on Sundays; (23) commercial facilities for the washing of motor vehicles, motorcycles, boats or aircraft; and (24) manufacturing, including any allied operations which are involved in the production of any product.

      (f) This section shall not apply to isolated or occasional sales by persons not engaged in the sale, transfer or exchange of property as a business.

      (P.A. 76-415, S. 1; 76-435, S. 79, 81, 82; P.A. 78-329, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-3, S. 1.)

      History: P.A. 76-435 changed effective date of P.A. 76-415 from October 1, 1976, to date of passage; P.A. 78-329 specified applicability to firms or corporations and amended Subsec. (e)(21) to include dairies, added Subsec. (2)(24) re manufacturing businesses and ddeleted proviso in Subsec. (1)(A) limiting stores to sale of "food products and nonalcoholic beverages intended for human or animal consumption"; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 83-3 changed term "mobile homes" to "mobile manufactured homes" in Subsec. (e)(18).

      Proscription of business activities on Sunday held unconstitutional as violation of equal protection and due process. 177 C. 304. Cited. 229 C. 312.