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General Assembly Substitute Bill No. 5405
February Session, 2026
AN ACT CONCERNING OWNERS, OPERATORS AND LESSEES OF
CRANES AND HOISTING EQUIPMENT.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General
Assembly convened:
Section 1. Section 29 -221 of the general statutes is repealed and the 1
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 2
As used in this chapter: (1) "Board" means the Examining Board for 3
Crane Operators established under section 29 -222, as amended by this 4
act; (2) "commissioner" means the Commissioner of Administrative 5
Services; (3) "crane" means power -operated equipment that can hoist, 6
lower and horizontally move a suspended load and which has a 7
manufacturer's maximum rated hoisting or lifting capacity exceeding 8
two thousand pounds, including, but not limited to: (A) Articulating 9
cranes such as knuckle -boom cranes, (B) crawler cranes, (C) floating 10
cranes, (D) cranes on barges, (E) locomotive cranes, (F) mobile cranes 11
such as wheel -mounted, rough terrain, all -terrain, commercial truck -12
mounted and boom truck cranes, (G) multipurpose machines when 13
configured to hoist and lower, by means of a winch or hook, and 14
horizontally move a suspended load, (H) industrial cranes such as 15
carry-deck cranes, (I) dedicated pile drivers when used in construction, 16
demolition or excavation work, (J) service or mechanic trucks with a 17
hoisting device, (K) cranes on monorails, (L) tower cranes such as fixed 18
jib hammerhead boom, luffing boom and self -erecting, (M) pedestal 19
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cranes, (N) portal cranes, (O) overhead and gantry cranes, (P) straddle 20
cranes, (Q) side boom cranes, (R) derricks, and (S) variations of such 21
equipment; (4) "hoisting equipment", other than cranes, means 22
motorized equipment (A) used in construction, demolition or 23
excavation work, (B) at a construction site for a project, other than a 24
project involving residential structures of less than four stories, the 25
estimated cost of which is more than one million two hundred fifty 26
thousand dollars, and (C) which has a manufacturer's rated hoisting or 27
lifting capacity exceeding five tons and a manufacturer's rated 28
maximum reach in excess of thirty-two feet; (5) "department" means the 29
Department of Administrative Services; [and] (6) "apprentice" means a 30
person who is not licensed under this chapter, who has filed an 31
application for a license with the board and whose employer has 32
registered him or her with the board to learn crane operations or 33
hoisting equipment operations under the direct supervision of a 34
licensed operator in accordance with section 29 -224c; and (7) "lessee" 35
means a person, firm, partnership, corporation, limited liability 36
company, association or other legal entity that rents or leases a crane or 37
hoisting equipment. 38
Sec. 2. Section 29 -222 of the general statutes is repealed and the 39
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 40
There shall be in the Department of Administrative Services an 41
Examining Board for Crane Operators consisting of [five] seven 42
members who shall be residents of this state. Members shall be 43
appointed by the Governor subject to the provisions of section 4-9a. One 44
member shall be an employee of the department, [one member shall be 45
a crane operator] two members shall be crane operators having at least 46
ten years of experience, [one member] two members shall represent the 47
interests of crane owners and two members shall be public members. 48
Members shall not be compensated for their services but shall be 49
reimbursed for necessary expenses in the performance of their duties. A 50
quorum of the board for the purpose of transacting business shall exist 51
only when there is present, in person, a majority of its membership. Any 52
member absent from (1) three consecutive meetings of the board, or (2) 53
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fifty per cent of such meetings during any calendar year shall be deemed 54
to have resigned from the board. 55
Sec. 3. Subsection (b) of section 29 -223a of the general statutes is 56
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 57
1, 2026): 58
(b) The provisions of this section shall not apply to: (1) Engineers 59
under the jurisdiction of the United States, (2) engineers or operators 60
employed by public utilities or industrial manufacturing plants, (3) any 61
person operating either a bucket truck or a digger derrick designed and 62
used for an electrical generation, electrical transmission, electrical 63
distribution, electrical catenary or electrical signalization project, if such 64
person: (A) Holds a valid limited electrical line contractor or 65
journeyman's license issued pursuant to chapter 393 or any regulation 66
adopted pursuant to said chapter, or (B) has engaged in the installation 67
of electrical line work for more than one thousand hours, or (C) has 68
enrolled in or has graduated from a federally recognized electrical 69
apprenticeship program, (4) persons engaged in (A) the recreational 70
boating or fishing industry, except when engaged in construction -71
related work, or [in] (B) agriculture, [or arboriculture, ] or (5) persons 72
engaged in activities, or using equipment, excluded under section 29 -73
221a. 74
Sec. 4. Subsection (b) of section 29 -224 of the general statutes is 75
repealed and the following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 76
1, 2026): 77
(b) The provisions of subsection (a) of this section shall not apply to: 78
(1) Engineers under the jurisdiction of the United States, (2) engineers 79
or operators employed by public utilities or industrial manufacturing 80
plants, (3) any person operating either a bucket truck or a digger derrick 81
designed and used for an electrical generation, electrical transmission, 82
electrical distribution, electrical catenary or electrical signalization 83
project, if such person: (A) Holds a valid limited electrical line contractor 84
or journeyman's license issued pursuant to chapter 393 or any 85
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regulation adopted pursuant to said chapter, or (B) has engaged in the 86
installation of electrical line work for more than one thousand hours, or 87
(C) has enrolled in or has graduated from a federally recognized 88
electrical apprenticeship program, (4) persons engaged in (A) the 89
recreational boating or fishing industry, except when engaged in 90
construction-related work, or [in] (B) agriculture, [or arboriculture,] (5) 91
persons engaged in activities, or using equipment, excluded under 92
section 29 -221a, or (6) persons operating equipment, except a tower 93
crane, that can hoist, lower and horizontally move a suspended load and 94
has a manufacturer's maximum rated hoisting or lifting capacity 95
exceeding two thousand pounds but not exceeding ten thousand 96
pounds who, pursuant to federal Occupational Safety and Health 97
Administration Standard 1926.1427, are (A) certified by an accredited 98
crane operator testing organization, (B) qualified by an audited 99
employer program, (C) qualified by the United States military, or (D) 100
licensed pursuant to this chapter. 101
Sec. 5. Section 29 -224b of the general statutes is repealed and the 102
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 103
The commissioner or any employee of the Department of 104
Administrative Services, while engaged in the performance of [his or 105
her] the commissioner's or employee's duties, may (1) enter at all 106
reasonable hours into and upon any premises in or on which the 107
commissioner or employee has reason to believe a crane or hoisting 108
equipment is located for the purpose of carrying out the provisions of 109
this chapter and the regulations adopted thereunder, (2) require a crane 110
operator or hoisting equipment operator to produce for verification 111
such operator's license issued under this chapter, (3) require a crane 112
owner to produce for verification such owner's certificate of registration 113
issued under this chapter, and (4) require a crane operator, hoisting 114
equipment operator, crane owner, hoisting equipment owner or lessee 115
to produce any document establishing an agreement between such 116
operator, owner or lessee and a person, firm, partnership, corporation, 117
limited liability company, association or other legal entity to perform 118
crane or hoisting work on the premises. 119
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Sec. 6. (NEW) ( Effective October 1, 2026 ) (a) The Commissioner of 120
Administrative Services or an employee of the Department of 121
Administrative Services may issue a stop work order against a crane 122
owner, crane operator, hoisting equipment owner, hoisting equipment 123
operator, lessee or person that contracted with the owner, operator or 124
lessee to perform crane or hoisting work, if the commissioner or 125
employee determines that such owner, operator, lessee or person has 126
committed one or more of the following violations: (1) Demonstrating 127
incompetence or negligence, (2) permitting the operation of the owner's, 128
operator's or lessee's crane in an unsafe manner, or (3) failing to comply 129
with the provisions of section 29 -223a of the general statutes, as 130
amended by this act, or 29 -224 of the general statutes, as amended by 131
this act. For purposes of this section, the term "person" includes firms, 132
partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies, associations and 133
any other legal entities. 134
(b) Such stop work order: (1) (A) Shall require the cessation of the 135
owner's, operator's or lessee's crane, hoisting equipment or related 136
lifting operations at the place or premises where the violation was 137
determined to have occurred, and (B) shall not require the cessation of 138
unrelated construction activities at such place or premises unless such 139
activities present an immediate danger to any individual or property, 140
(2) shall be effective when served upon the owner, operator or lessee 141
and the person that contracted with the owner, operator or lessee to 142
perform crane or hoisting work at the place or premises subject to such 143
stop work order by posting notice of the stop work order in a 144
conspicuous location at such place or premises, and (3) shall remain in 145
effect until the commissioner (A) determines that the owner, operator, 146
lessee or person has resolved the violation or violations that gave rise to 147
the stop work order, and (B) issues an order releasing such stop work 148
order. 149
(c) Any crane owner, crane operator, hoisting equipment owner, 150
hoisting equipment operator, lessee or person who has been served with 151
a stop work order pursuant to subsection (b) of this section may request 152
an administrative hearing to contest such stop work order. Such request 153
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shall be made in writing to the commissioner not more than ten days 154
after such owner, operator, lessee or person was served with such stop 155
work order. Such hearing shall be conducted in accordance with the 156
provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes. 157
(d) The commissioner shall notify the Examining Board for Crane 158
Operators established under section 29 -222 of the general statutes, as 159
amended by this act, of each stop work order issued under subsection 160
(a) of this section and any violation of such a stop work order. 161
(e) The commissioner shall adopt regulations, in accordance with the 162
provisions of chapter 54 of the general statutes, to carry out the purposes 163
of this section. 164
Sec. 7. Section 29 -225 of the general statutes is repealed and the 165
following is substituted in lieu thereof (Effective October 1, 2026): 166
(a) The board may suspend or revoke a crane operator's license, a 167
hoisting equipment operator's license or an apprentice's certificate, after 168
notice and hearing in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, upon 169
a finding that the holder has demonstrated incompetence or [has been 170
guilty of ] negligence in the performance of [his or her ] such holder's 171
work. 172
(b) The board may suspend or revoke a crane owner's registration , 173
after notice and hearing in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, 174
upon a finding that the holder has failed to properly maintain [his or 175
her] such holder's crane or has permitted the operation of [his or her ] 176
such holder's crane in an unsafe manner. 177
(c) (1) The board may impose a civil penalty of not more than [three] 178
five thousand dollars per violation per day on any crane or hoisting 179
equipment owner or operator , [who violates] lessee or person that 180
contracted with an owner, operator or lessee to perform crane or 181
hoisting work, after notice and hearing in accordance with the 182
provisions of chapter 54 , upon a finding that the owner, operator or 183
lessee has violated any provision of this chapter or any regulations 184
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adopted thereunder. For purposes of this section, the term "person" 185
includes firms, partnerships, corporations, limited liability companies, 186
associations and any other legal entities. 187
(2) The board may impose a civil penalty of not more than one 188
thousand dollars per violation per day on any crane or hoisting 189
equipment owner or operator or lessee, after notice and hearing in 190
accordance with the provisions of chapter 54 , upon a finding that the 191
owner, operator or lessee has operated, or allowed the operation of, such 192
owner's, operator's or lessee's crane or hoisting equipment without a 193
valid license or certificate of registration, as applicable, issued under this 194
chapter. 195
(3) If the board, after notice and hearing in accordance with the 196
provisions of chapter 54, finds that a crane or hoisting equipment owner 197
or operator, lessee or person that contracted with an owner, operator or 198
lessee to perform crane or hoisting work violated a stop work order 199
issued pursuant to section 6 of this act, the board shall impose a fine of 200
five thousand dollars per day for each day the stop work order was 201
violated. 202
(d) The board shall not renew a license or registration of any crane or 203
hoisting equipment owner or operator who has an unpaid civil penalty 204
until such time as such penalty is paid in full. 205
(e) The board, at any time after the issuance of a notice alleging a 206
violation of any provision of this chapter or any regulation adopted 207
thereunder, may accept, in lieu of a hearing in accordance with the 208
provisions of chapter 54, an agreement by any person charged with such 209
violation. Negotiations relating to any such agreement shall be 210
confidential and not subject to disclosure pursuant to the Freedom of 211
Information Act, as defined in section 1 -200, but any such agreement 212
itself shall be a public record for purposes of said act. 213
(f) The Commissioner of Administrative Services may apply for the 214
enforcement of any civil penalty imposed pursuant to this section 215
against any person who is not licensed as a crane or hoisting equipment 216
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operator or who has not obtained a registration of any crane under 217
subsection (a) of section 29 -224 to the superior court for the judicial 218
district of Hartford, or to any judge thereof if the same is not in session, 219
for an order (1) directing payment in full of any unpaid balance of such 220
civil penalty, or (2) temporarily and permanently restraining and 221
enjoining such person from performing or allowing the performance of 222
the work of a crane or hoisting equipment operator. The application for 223
such order, and for such other appropriate decree or process, shall be 224
brought and the proceedings thereon conducted by the Attorney 225
General. 226
This act shall take effect as follows and shall amend the following
sections:
Section 1 October 1, 2026 29-221
Sec. 2 October 1, 2026 29-222
Sec. 3 October 1, 2026 29-223a(b)
Sec. 4 October 1, 2026 29-224(b)
Sec. 5 October 1, 2026 29-224b
Sec. 6 October 1, 2026 New section
Sec. 7 October 1, 2026 29-225
PS Joint Favorable Subst.
JUD Joint Favorable