(a) As used in this section:
(1) “Emergency vehicle” means any new motor vehicle used as (A) fire fighting apparatus, (B) an ambulance, or (C) a rescue vehicle, that is purchased or leased by a department on or after July 1, 1999. An emergency vehicle purchased or leased on or after October 1, 1999, is deemed purchased upon acceptance of delivery and payment. An emergency vehicle is deemed leased upon acceptance of delivery and payment of the first lease payment;
(2) “Department” means any (A) agency of the state, (B) municipality, (C) fire department of a municipality, including a volunteer fire department, or (D) volunteer ambulance company, as the case may be;
(3) “Municipality” means any town, city, borough, fire district or other political subdivision of this state; and
(4) “Final stage equipment manufacturer” means a manufacturer that assembles an emergency vehicle from one or more components supplied by other manufacturers.
(b) If an emergency vehicle or any fire fighting or emergency equipment permanently installed in an emergency vehicle does not conform to all applicable express warranties and (1) such emergency vehicle or equipment is subject to a safety-related recall campaign to correct such nonconformity, or (2) such nonconformity is or arises from a manufacturer's defect and the department reports such nonconformity, in writing, to the final stage equipment manufacturer of such emergency vehicle, or its agent or authorized dealer, during the period of two years following the date of acceptance of delivery of such emergency vehicle to the department, such final stage equipment manufacturer, or its agent or authorized dealer, shall make such repairs as are necessary to conform such emergency vehicle or equipment to such express warranties or shall reimburse the department for the cost of such repairs, notwithstanding the fact that such repairs are made after the expiration of such two-year period.
(c) The Commissioner of Consumer Protection may adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to carry out the provisions of this section.
(d) Nothing in this section shall in any way limit the rights or remedies which are otherwise available to a department under any other law.
(P.A. 98-108, S. 1; P.A. 99-76; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(c); P.A. 04-189, S. 1.)
History: P.A. 99-76 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to specify when emergency vehicles are deemed purchased or leased and amended Subsec. (b)(2) to require that reports of nonconformity be issued in writing and to tie deadline for reporting nonconformity to date of acceptance of delivery rather than date of original delivery; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Consumer Protection with Commissioner 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.