2014 -- H 7719

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LC004517

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS - ELECTRICIANS AND PLUMBERS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Kazarian, Keable, Johnston, Messier, and Casey

     Date Introduced: February 27, 2014

     Referred To: House Corporations

     (Administration)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 5-6-8 and 5-6-11 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-6 entitled

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"Electricians" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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     5-6-8. Contractor's certificates/licenses. -- (a) Electrical contractor's license. -

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Certificate A shall be issued to any person, firm or corporation, qualified under this chapter,

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engaging in, or about to engage in, the business of installing electrical wires, conduits, apparatus,

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fixtures, fire alarm and safety communication systems and other electrical appliances, excluding

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low voltage wiring for heating, ventilating and air conditioning equipment. The certificate shall

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specify the name of the person, firm, or corporation applying and the name of the person, who in

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the case of a firm is one of its members, and in the case of a corporation, one of its officers,

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passing the examination, by which he or she or it is authorized to enter upon or engage in

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business as prescribed in the certificate. The holding of a Certificate A does not entitle the holder

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individually to engage in or perform the actual work of installing electric wires, conduits, and

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appliances as previously described in this chapter, but entitles him or her to conduct business as

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an electrical contractor.

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      (b) Oil burner contractor's license. - A Certificate E shall be issued to any person, firm,

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or corporation qualified under this chapter, and engaged in, or about to engage in, the business of

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an oil burner contractor, as defined in section 5-6-1. The certificate shall specify the name of the

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person, firm, or corporation applying and the name of the person who, in the case of a firm is one

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of its members, and in the case of a corporation one of its officers, passing the examination, by

 

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which he or she or it is authorized to enter upon or engage in business as prescribed in the

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certificate. The holding of a Certificate E does not entitle the holder individually to engage in or

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perform any work on, or in connection with electric wires, conduits, and appliances as previously

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described in this chapter, but entitles the holder to contract to do that work to the extent permitted

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in this chapter, through the employment of oil burnerpersons holding a Certificate F. An oil

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burner contractor who is the holder of a Certificate A is not required to obtain a Certificate E.

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      (c) Fire alarm contractor's license. - A Certificate AF shall be issued to any person, firm,

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or corporation qualified under this chapter, and engaged in or about to engage in the business of a

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fire alarm contractor, as defined in section 5-6-1. The certificate shall specify the name of the

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person, firm, or corporation applying and the person who, in the case of a firm is one of its

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members, and in the case of a corporation one of its officers, passing the examination, by which

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he or she or it is authorized to enter upon or engage in business as prescribed in the certificate.

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The holding of a Certificate AF does not entitle the holder individually to engage in or perform

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and work on, or in connection with, electric wires, fire alarm wires, conduits, and appliances as

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previously described in this chapter, but entitles the holder to contract to do that work to the

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extent permitted in this chapter through the employment of fire alarm installers holding a

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Certificate BF. A contractor who is the holder of a Certificate A is not required to obtain a

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Certificate BF.

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      (d) Electrical sign contractor's license. - A Certificate SCF shall be issued to any person,

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firm, or corporation qualified under this chapter, and engaged in or about to engage in the

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business of electrical sign installations, as defined in section 5-6-1.

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      (e) Lightning protection contractor. - A Certificate LPC shall be issued to any person,

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firm or corporation qualified under this chapter and engaged in or about to engage in the business

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of lightning protection contractor, as defined in section 5-6-1. The Certificate LPC shall specify

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the name of the person, firm or corporation applying and the person who in the case of a firm, is

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one of its members, and in the case of a corporation, one of its officers, passing the examination

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by, which he or she or it is authorized to enter upon or engage in business as prescribed in the

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certificate. The holding of a Certificate LPC does not entitle the holder individually to engage in

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or perform and work on, or in connection with the installation of lightning protection equipment

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as defined in section 5-6-1, unless that individual also holds a Certificate LPI, but entitles the

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holder to contract to do that work to the extent permitted in this chapter through the employment

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of lightning protection installers holding a Certificate LPI.

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     (f) Renewable energy contractor. – A Certificate REC shall be issued to any person, firm,

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or corporation qualified under this chapter, engaged in or about to engage in the business of

 

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installing eligible renewable energy technologies as defined under § 39-26-5. All renewable

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energy electrical work, including installing the grounding wires; connecting all wires; mounting

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the modules to the mounting racks; mounting the inverters; and tying the inverters into the main

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electrical panels shall be done by a licensed electrician. Ancillary non-electrical renewable energy

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work, such as advertising services; carrying photovoltaic modules to the mounting racks; and

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installing the ground and rooftop mounting rack systems, may be done by any person, firm, or

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corporation holding an REC Certificate. The REC Certificate shall specify the name of the

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person, firm, or corporation applying and the name of the person, who, in the case of a firm, is

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one of its members, and in the case of a corporation, one of its officers, meeting the requisite

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education and experience as established in § 5-6-11, by which he or she or it is authorized to enter

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upon or engage in business as prescribed in the certificate. The holding of a Certificate REC

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entitles the holder to contract to do that work to the extent permitted in this chapter.

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     5-6-11. Certificate/license of oil burnerperson, fire alarm installer, electrical sign

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installers, and lightning protection installer. -- Certificate/license of oil burnerperson, fire

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alarm installer, electrical sign installers, lightning protection installers, and renewable

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energy contractors. -- (a) Oil burnerperson's license. - A Certificate F shall be granted to any

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person who has passed an examination before the division of professional regulation. The

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certificate shall specify the name of the person authorized to work on, and repair electric wiring

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and equipment located in or on oil burners burning fuel oil no heavier than No. 2, and other

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equipment serviced by oil burner contractors, to the extent only as is necessary to service,

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maintain and repair those oil burners and equipment. The license shall limit the holder of a

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Certificate F to do work on electric wiring or equipment located between the meter and those oil

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burners and equipment, but in no event to do any electrical work on oil burners burning No. 3, 4,

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5, or 6 fuel oil.

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      (b) Fire alarm installer's license. - A Certificate BF shall be granted to any person who

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has passed an examination before the division of professional regulation. The certificate shall

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specify the name of the person authorized to work on, install, maintain, and test fire alarm

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systems.

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      (c) Electrical sign installer's license. - A Certificate CF shall be granted to any person

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who has passed an examination before the division of professional regulations. The certificate

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shall specify the name of the person authorized to install, maintain, work on, and repair electrical

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signs.

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      (d) Lightning protection installer's license. - A Certificate LPI shall be granted to any

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person who has passed an examination before the division of professional regulations. The

 

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certificate shall specify the name of the person authorized to install, maintain, work on, and repair

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lightning protection systems as defined in section 5-6-1.

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     (e) Renewable energy contractor's certificate. – The Rhode Island office of energy

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resources in coordination with the Rhode Island department of labor and training shall issue a

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Certificate of Competency in the Design and Installation of Renewable Energy Systems to any

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person, firm, or corporation that has received a certification from a nationally recognized, or

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equivalent, renewable energy certification training program.

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     SECTION 2. Section 5-20-35 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-20 entitled "Plumbers

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and Irrigators" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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     5-20-35. Persons and acts exempt -- Issuance of licenses in special cases. -- (a) The

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provisions of this chapter do not apply to the installation of automatic sprinkler systems or other

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fire protection appliances in this state and do not apply to employees of public utilities (publicly

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or privately owned); provided, that any resident of Rhode Island not licensed, as provided in this

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chapter, desiring a license as a master plumber or journeyperson plumber who on or before

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August 14, 1966, presents to the department of labor and training of the state reasonably

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satisfactory evidence, in writing, that he or she was actively engaged in the business of plumbing

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as a master plumber or working as a journeyperson plumber for a master plumber in any city or

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town for five (5) years prior to May 16, 1966, and that he or she is at the time of presenting that

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evidence to the department of labor and training operating in any city or town as a master

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plumber or working as journeyperson plumber, shall, upon payment of a fee of five dollars

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($5.00) in the case of a master plumber or one dollar ($1.00) in the case of a journeyperson

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plumber, have issued to him or her by the department of labor and training a certificate of license

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as a master plumber or a journeyperson plumber without an additional application, fee, or other

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condition precedent. Farms, golf courses, and nurseries performing irrigation work on their

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premises only shall not be required to be licensed under the chapter.

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     (b) Solar thermal contractor. - A Certificate REC shall be issued to any person, firm, or

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corporation, qualified under this chapter, engaged in or about to engage in the business of

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installing solar thermal installations. All solar thermal plumbing work, including the installation

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of fittings, fixtures, and connections must be performed by persons, firms, or corporations

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properly licensed under chapter 5-20. Ancillary non-plumbing solar thermal work, including

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advertising services; carrying evacuated solar thermal tubes or solar collectors to the mounting

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racks; and mounting evacuated solar thermal tubes or solar collectors to the mounting racks, may

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be done by any person, firm, or corporation holding a REC Certificate. The REC Certificate shall

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specify the name of the person, firm, or corporation applying and the name of the person, who, in

 

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the case of a firm, is one of its members, and in the case of a corporation, one of its officers,

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passing the examination, by which he or she or it is authorized to enter upon or engage in

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business as prescribed in the certificate. The holding of a REC Certificate entitles the holder to

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contract to do that work to the extent permitted in this chapter.

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     (c) Solar thermal contractor's certificate. The Rhode Island office of energy resources in

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coordination with the Rhode Island department of labor and training shall issue a Certificate of

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Competency in the Design and Installation of Solar Thermal Systems to any person, firm, or

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corporation that has received a certification from a nationally recognized, or equivalent,

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renewable energy certification training program.

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      (b)(d) Nothing in this or any other chapter of the general laws shall prohibit

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municipalities or water districts from using employees, or engaging the services of licensed

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plumbers or other contractors and/or service providers that meet certain requirements determined

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by the municipality or water district, for the purpose of replacing water meters or meter reading

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devices.

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     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS - ELECTRICIANS AND PLUMBERS

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     This act would make adjustments to the electrical and plumbing licensing rules for

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renewable energy installations as well as the mode of work the holder of a Certificate of

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Competency in solar thermal installations can do. It would also provide that a REC Certificate be

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issued to any qualifying person, firm, or corporation engages in the business of solar thermal

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installations.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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