New Conn. laws include motorcycle training course

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New Conn. laws include motorcycle training course

HARTFORD, Conn. - A training course for would-be motorcycle riders, changes in cancer treatment coverage and an extra penalty for violators of the "Do Not Call" registry are coming to Connecticut through laws that take effect New Year's Day.
Many of the new laws kicking in Saturday were passed during the 2010 regular session of the General Assembly. Connecticut laws typically take effect upon passage, or on July 1, Oct. 1 or Jan. 1.
A grieving East Hartford mother, Stephanie Pelletier, fought for the new motorcycle education requirement after her 19-year-old son, Nick Cohen, died in a 2008 crash.
Cohen was killed on his way to work when his bike collided with a minivan. Cohen was wearing a helmet, but hadn't taken a safety education class.
"I hope to save another parent from the pain I suffer every day," Pelletier said. She believes her son might be alive if he had taken a course for novice riders, which the state previously required only for motorcycle license applicants under age 18.
Pelletier said she unsuccessfully pushed her son to take a class.
"It still makes me so sad," she said. "Definitely, I believe education is the best way. Teenagers think they have nine lives. I believe they need to be educated to ride."
Another new law adds an additional penalty of up to $11,000 for each violation of the state law that prohibits unsolicited marketing, sales and other telephone calls to people who've registered under the "Do Not Call List." Currently, the Department of Consumer Protection can impose a cease and desist order if there's a violation, and if the company fails to comply, the agency can assess civil penalties up to $5,000 for each willful violation.
The state consumer protection agency says about 1.2 million Connecticut consumers are currently on the "Do Not Call List."
Also, starting Jan. 1, certain health insurance policies that cover intravenously and orally administered anticancer medications must provide "favorable treatment" of both, including comparable co-pays or similar deductibles.
Last spring, cancer patients testified before the General Assembly that chemotherapy administered intravenously at clinics is typically covered by the insurance companies, but chemotherapy in pill form is covered by prescription drug plans. That allows insurers to transfer some costs to patients — as much as $1,000 or more a month.
Oral chemotherapies are increasingly becoming a major part of cancer treatment, according to the Association of Community Care Centers. But the association told lawmakers that patients often can't afford the pills.
"These concerns are often what guide a patient's treatment decision options, as opposed to what might be best for their health," Matthew Farber, the association's public policy director, said in written testimony to the committee.
Another law that takes effect on Jan. 1 allows local farms to sell more homemade products to consumers.
The legislation allows residential farms to prepare and sell "acidified foods," such as pickles, salsa and hot sauce, but only under certain conditions. For example, the farm's water supply must come from a public system or a private well that is tested annually. The food preparer must also prove he or she has successfully completed an exam on safe food handling techniques.
Currently, containers of jam, jelly, or preserves sold on farms must have a label that informs customers it was not prepared in a government-inspected kitchen. Under the new law, containers of the acidified foods must also carry that warning.