2023 -- H 5414

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LC000990

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2023

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- ELECTRICIANS

     

     Introduced By: Representatives Fellela, Messier, Casey, Potter, and Edwards

     Date Introduced: February 08, 2023

     Referred To: House Corporations

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

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     SECTION 1. Sections 5-6-2 and 5-6-8 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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     5-6-2. Work for which license required.

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     (a)(1) No person, firm, or corporation shall enter into, engage in, solicit, advertise, bid for,

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or work at the business of installing, maintaining, servicing, and testing wires, conduits, apparatus,

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which includes support systems specifically for electrical equipment and devices, fixtures,

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electrical signs, lightning-protection equipment as defined in § 5-6-1, lighting, control of electrical

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devices, handling and removal for installation or re-installation of all electrical equipment, devices,

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apparatus, and similar items provided in this subsection within the confines of the jobsite, and other

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appliances for carrying or using or generating electricity for light, heat, fire alarms, as defined in

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chapter 28.25 of title 23, entitled “Fire Alarm Systems,” or power purposes, exclusive of low-

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voltage wiring for heating/refrigeration equipment, or work at the business of removing and

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reattaching existing electrical meters, unless that person, firm, or corporation shall have received a

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license and a certificate for the business, issued by the state board of examiners of electricians of

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the division of professional regulation of the department of labor and training in accordance with

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the provisions set forth in this chapter.

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     (2) That person shall carry this license on his or her person at all times while so engaged,

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and shall affix his or her contractor’s license number to any advertisement and/or contract he or she

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executes and/or to any bid he or she files with any consumer for his or her professional services

 

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and to any applicable permit required for the performance of those services.

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     (b) Any person, firm, or corporation that is required to apply for a permit from a local

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building official for any work required to be performed by a person licensed under the provisions

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of this chapter shall cause the work to be performed by a person licensed under the provisions of

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this chapter; provided, that the provisions of this section, except the provision regarding removing

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and reattaching existing electrical meters, shall not apply to owner-occupied, single-family homes.

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     5-6-8. Contractor’s certificates/licenses.

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     (a) Electrical contractor’s license. A Certificate A shall be issued to any person, firm, or

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

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installing, maintaining, servicing, and testing electrical wires, conduits, apparatus, which includes

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support systems specifically for electrical equipment and devices, fixtures, fire alarm and safety

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communication systems, and other electrical appliances, lighting, control of electrical devices,

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handling and removal for installation or re-installation of all electrical equipment, devices,

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apparatus, and similar items provided in this subsection within the confines of the jobsite, 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 for it and the name of the person, who

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

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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, maintaining, servicing, and

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testing electric wires, conduits, or appliances as previously described in this chapter, but entitles

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him or her to conduct business as an electrical contractor.

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     (b) Burner contractor’s license. A Certificate E shall be issued to any person, firm, or

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

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burner contractor as defined in § 5-6-1. The certificate shall specify the name of the person, firm,

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or corporation applying for it and the name of 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 is 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 E does not entitle the holder individually to engage in or perform any

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

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

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through the employment of burnerpersons holding a Certificate F. A burner contractor who is the

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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, or

 

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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 § 5-6-1. The certificate shall specify the name of the person,

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

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and in the case of a corporation is one of its officers, passing the examination by which he or she

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or it is authorized to enter upon, or engage in, business as prescribed in the certificate. The holding

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of a Certificate AF does not entitle the holder individually to engage in, or perform and work on,

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or in connection with, electric wires, fire alarm 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 fire alarm installers holding a Certificate BF. A

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

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

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     (e) Lightning-protection contractor. A Certificate LPC 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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lightning-protection contractor as defined in § 5-6-1. The Certificate LPC shall specify the name

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of the person, firm, or corporation applying for it and 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, is 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 certificate.

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

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and work on, or in connection with, the installation of lightning-protection equipment as defined in

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§ 5-6-1, unless that individual also holds a Certificate LPI, but entitles the holder to contract to do

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that work to the extent permitted in this chapter through the employment of lightning-protection

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installers holding a Certificate LPI.

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     (f) Sign renovation electrical license. A certificate SRL 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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sign renovation or installation of signs when such renovation or installation requires the removal

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or installation of no more than three (3) wires.

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     (g) Renewable energy professional. A Certificate REP 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 in § 39-26-5. All renewable energy

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electrical work, including installing, connecting, maintaining, servicing, and testing all electrical

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wires, conduits, and apparatus; mounting the modules to the mounting racks; mounting the

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inverters; and tying the inverters into the main electrical panels, shall be done by a licensed

 

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electrician. Ancillary non-electrical, renewable energy work, such as advertising services;

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distribution of palletized materials to final location area of installation including photovoltaic

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modules to the mounting racks; and installing the ground and rooftop support brackets and ballast

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for rack systems, may be done by any person, firm, or corporation holding a Certificate REP. The

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Certificate REP shall specify the name of the person, firm, or corporation applying for it and the

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name of the person, who in the case of a firm is one of its members, and in the case of a corporation,

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is one of its officers, meeting the requisite education and experience as established in § 5-6-11, 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 REP entitles the holder to contract to do that work to the

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extent permitted in this chapter.

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     The installation, mechanical fastening, and conjoining of listed solar sheathing systems

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that are ten kilowatts (10 kw) or less on residential structures as defined by the Rhode Island one-

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and two-family dwelling code may be performed by a registered contractor who or that has been

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issued a renewable energy professional certificate (Certificate REP) as defined in § 5-6-11(e) and

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above referenced. However, said residential solar sheathing system shall be connected to the

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electrical system from the roof edge and energized by a Rhode Island licensed electrician working

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in compliance with this chapter. Additionally, the residential solar sheathing systems noted must

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be listed and labeled by UL or other recognized electrical device certification organization,

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identified and acceptable by the authority having jurisdiction.

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     SECTION 2. 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

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     This act would include, under the types of electrical work required to be performed by

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persons or firms that have an electrical contractor's license, the installation, maintenance, securing

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and testing of wires, conduits and apparatus, which includes support systems specifically for

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electrical equipment and devices and for lighting, control of electrical devices, and the handling

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and removal for installation or re-installation of all electrical equipment, devices and apparatus.

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     This act would take effect upon passage.

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