The term “clinical thermometer”, as used in this section, means a maximum self-registering thermometer of the type commonly used for measuring body temperatures and a “correct clinical thermometer” means a thermometer which conforms, within the tolerances hereinafter established, to the standards herein established and to the specifications to be promulgated as provided herein. A “state clinical thermometer reference standard”, for the purposes of this section, means a thermometer supplied by the state and certified by the National Institute of Standards and Technology for use by the state. “Official test standards” means such additional thermometers as may be supplied by the state in order to carry out the provisions of this section. Official test standards shall be verified by the Department of Consumer Protection upon their initial receipt and thereafter at the discretion of the department while in use for testing purposes. Verification thereof shall be made by comparison with a state clinical thermometer reference standard. In addition, the Department of Consumer Protection shall promulgate requirements, specifications and tolerances for clinical thermometers. Official test standards may be used in making comparisons of all clinical thermometers under tests. The manufacturer of a clinical thermometer shall submit representative samples of such thermometer to the Department of Consumer Protection prior to the time the thermometer is first offered for sale in this state and thereafter as required by said department. If, upon inspection by said department or its agents or other representatives, a clinical thermometer which is offered for sale is found to be correct, said department shall have the authority to certify such thermometer as correct. When a clinical thermometer is found, upon inspection by said department or its agents or other representatives, not to be a correct clinical thermometer, it may be seized by said department and condemned or destroyed or returned to the owner thereof upon satisfactory guarantee that it will not be offered for sale, sold or used again within this state. All clinical thermometers shall be marked with the name, initials or trademark of the manufacturer. Any person who, by himself or his agents or representatives, offers for sale, keeps for the purpose of sale or sells any clinical thermometer not certified as correct as herein provided shall be fined not more than fifty dollars.
(1949 Rev., S. 3803; 1972, P.A. 258, S. 1; P.A. 87-103, S. 1, 2; P.A. 90-125, S. 1; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(d); P.A. 04-169, S. 17; 04-189, S. 1.)
History: 1972 act replaced references to department and commissioner of health with references to department and commissioner of consumer protection; Sec. 19-66 transferred to Sec. 19-210h in 1972; Sec. 19-210h transferred to Sec. 21a-63 in 1983; P.A. 87-103 eliminated the requirement for annual certification by the National Bureau of Standards, replaced verification every six months with verification at the discretion of the department, required manufacturers to submit representative samples to the department of consumer protection prior to offering the thermometers for sale in the state and removed the requirement that the department mark each thermometer; P.A. 90-125 substituted National Institute of Standards and Technology for National Bureau of Standards; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 and P.A. 04-169 replaced Department of Consumer Protection with Department 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.