Connecticut has proposed legislation that will REQUIRE ALL ROOFING, WINDOW, & SIDING MANUFACTURERS TO COVER ALL LABOR AND REPLACEMENT COSTS in their product warranties. The bill also requires manufacturers to settle claims and make payments within 30 days of receipt of a warranty claim. This legislation is extremely vague, and not only applies to legitimate product defects, but also improper installation, weatherization, misuse, and other various reasons for product defects.

This bill has already passed in the State Senate; therefore, we must take action now! LDAC is asking ALL ASSOCIATE MEMBERS to contact the House Leadership expressing their strong opposition to this legislation. Below are talking points for your use. There is a strong possibility that this bill will pass. IF YOU DON’T WANT THIS TO PASS, YOU MUST CONTACT THESE LEGISLATORS.

Please call and e-mail the following legislators over the next few days:

Speaker of the House, Joe Aresimowicz

860-240-8511

Joe.aresimowicz@cga.ct.gov

Majority Leader Matt Ritter

860-240-8537

Matthew.ritter@cga.ct.gov

Minority Leader Themis Klarides

860-240-8700

Themis.klarides@housegop.ct.gov

On behalf of the LDAC legislative committee, thank you for taking the time to contact the House Leadership. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me at aranslow@nrla.org or 518-880-6350.

Please Oppose S.B. 821

• This legislation is simply bad for business, and unfairly targets specific building materials.
• This legislation places an unfair and undue burden on roofing, window, and siding manufacturers to cover all replacement labor costs associated with their products.
• Manufacturers already have warranties in place to protect consumers from legitimate product defects or failures, and many of those warranties will cover the replacement costs of a legitimate defective product.
• In addition to providing these consumer warranties, manufacturers also provide very specific instructions for the installation of products, their application, and the maintenance required to keep them in proper working order.
• Mandating that all warranties cover all labor costs associated with any sort of product defect is unreasonable as there are countless reasons why a product may fail, including: improper installation, exposure to chemicals, harsh exposure to the environment, misuse or abuse, improper maintenance, alteration or product modifications, normal wear and tear, and natural weathering.
• The manufacturer is not and should not be responsible for any of the above mentioned reasons as it was not the product’s design or build that caused it to fail.
• Forcing manufacturers to pay for all labor costs to replace a roofing, window, or siding that has been improperly installed or maintained is unfair and unreasonable to the manufacturer, who is simply not at fault.