2014 -- S 2692

========

LC004217

========

     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2014

____________

A N   A C T

RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS - ELECTRICIANS AND PLUMBERS

     Introduced By: Senators Walaska, and Sosnowski

     Date Introduced: March 05, 2014

     Referred To: Senate Environment & Agriculture

     (Administration)

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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

"Electricians" are hereby amended to read as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

an electrical contractor.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Certificate BF.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

of lightning protection installers holding a Certificate LPI.

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

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

LC004217 - Page 2 of 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

5, or 6 fuel oil.

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

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

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

systems.

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

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

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

signs.

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

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

LC004217 - Page 3 of 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

equivalent, renewable energy certification training program.

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

and Irrigators" is hereby amended to read as follows:

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LC004217 - Page 4 of 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

renewable energy certification training program.

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

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

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

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

devices.

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

========

LC004217

========

LC004217 - Page 5 of 5

EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS - ELECTRICIANS AND PLUMBERS

***

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

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

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

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

installations.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

========

LC004217

========

LC004217 - Page 6 of 5