House Republican Press Release

March 15, 2006

Press Office: 860-240-8700

Representative Greene Cosponsors Consumer Protection Legislation

State Rep. Len Greene, R-105^th, has cosponsored legislation that would protect Connecticut consumers against gasoline price gouging and scams perpetrated via the Internet. The bills, which were approved by the Legislature’s General Law Committee on Tuesday, March 14, now move before the full State House of Representatives and Senate, respectively, for consideration.

House Bill 5670 would allow for the expeditious notification of people, trade associations, corporation and other entities when the Governor declares a state of emergency and when such declaration is rescinded. It is under such a state of emergency that the Governor can implement all or part of the Connecticut Energy Emergency Preparedness Plan. The plan includes provisions to prohibit profiteering on gasoline.

“This legislation would establish better notification to interested parties of the Governor’s declaring a state of emergency and clearly get the word out that gasoline pricing is being closely monitored during that time,” said Rep. Greene, who serves as Ranking Member (House Republican Leader) of the General Law Committee. “As we saw in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina last year, unscrupulous businesses will be tempted by the possibility to profiteer. Making everyone aware that a state of emergency is in place can help curtail such crimes.”

Meanwhile, Senate Bill 566 would prohibit email “phishing,” which is typically a scam that uses email “spam” or pop-up messages to deceive people into disclosing their credit card numbers, bank account information, Social Security number, passwords, or other sensitive information. The bill would specifically prohibit the practice in Connecticut, making any violation a Class D felony.

“Phishing is one of the most annoying aspects of using the Internet, particularly when it involves email messages,” said Rep. Greene. “The elderly are most susceptible to these type of scams. However, today we are seeing more sophisticated thieves who have stolen logos from reputable businesses and using the to fool thousand of consumer who believe they are legitimate messages. The bill will give state law enforcement agencies a tool to prosecute companies or individuals who engage in them.”