House Passes Crumbling Foundations Bill

May 28, 2021

Last night the House passed HB 6646, building upon our many years of progress to assist individuals, families and communities - including Manchester - who have been impacted by the crumbling concrete crisis.

As a member and founder of the bipartisan Crumbling Foundations Caucus, I have committed to addressing this issue that has devastated hundreds of families in Manchester and thousands throughout Connecticut.

In previous sessions, we passed legislation that created the Connecticut Foundations Solutions Indemnity Company (CFSIC), which serves as the captive insurance company to process and pay out claims; however, this was initially intended to be a temporary entity. The bill we passed yesterday recognizes the need in maintaining the CFSIC in order to continue addressing this ongoing issue.

The bill we passed:

  1. Eliminates the termination date of CFSIC, currently set for June 30, 2022.
  2. Permits any owner of a residential building with a foundation made with defective concrete to obtain a reassessment of the building, which will remain valid until the foundation is repaired or replaced.
  3. Eliminates the five-year cap on reduced assessments for properties made with defective concrete.
  4. Requires CFSIC to study the extent of pyrrhotite-related foundation damage in nonresidential buildings and remits up to $175,000 from the Healthy Homes Fund for the study’s expenses.
  5. Requires quarries that produce aggregate for use in concrete to annually prepare a geological source report.
  6. Authorizes the DEEP Commissioner to adopt regulations concerning the testing of aggregate produced by quarries for use in concrete.

All of Manchester will benefit from this bill.

Passing this legislation and securing the future of the CFSIC will also directly impact residents in Manchester who don’t have crumbling foundations. By extending CFSIC, more homes in our town will get fixed and restored to the property tax roles, reducing your property tax burden locally.

Given the economic scope of this crisis, the survival of entire communities is dependent on the viability of this captive insurance company and the resources that it provides. HB 6646 will establish these necessary safeguards to continue addressing the issue of crumbling foundations, while ensuring this problem doesn't happen again.