The legislation is designed to deter scammers, such as one who skipped town after bilking a 70-year-old woman of more than $29,000. Scammers typically work without contracts and get consumers to pay up front for work that is never completed, Tomlinson said.

If the legislation were approved, home improvement contracts would have to state when the work would start and when the job would be completed.

The contracts would also be required to list the contractor?EUR??,,????'???s business address, proof of insurance and the total cost of the job, including building materials. Often, scammers have no brick-and-mortar address and only cell phone numbers that they keep changing, according to consumer protection officials.

Tomlinson?EUR??,,????'???s bill would impose criminal penalties, ranging from misdemeanors to felonies, on contractors who don?EUR??,,????'???t register with the state or otherwise don?EUR??,,????'???t follow the law. It also would impose harsher criminal penalties for contractors who scam those ages 60 or over.

The bill is in committee. Tomlinson said he hopes the debate on it will begin before year?EUR??,,????'???s end.

?EUR??,,????'??We need this to protect seniors like me,?EUR??,,????'?? said Naomi Tomlinson (no relation to the senator), the senior who was scammed.