Chapter 291

2008 -- H 7931 SUBSTITUTE A AS AMENDED

Enacted 07/04/08

 

A N A C T

RELATING TO LABOR AND LABOR RELATIONS - APPRENTICES

          

     Introduced By: Representatives Jacquard, and Walsh

     Date Introduced: February 26, 2008

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

 

     SECTION 1. Chapter 28-45 of the General Laws entitled "Apprenticeship Programs in

Trade and Industry" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:

 

     28-45-18. Vocational school training. -- (a) The board of regents for elementary and

secondary education may authorize vocational schools to provide apprenticeship classroom

training to students subject to the approval of the Rhode Island department of labor and training

state apprenticeship council.

     (b) In the event the board of regents authorizes state-certified apprenticeship training

under subsection (a), and a student successfully completes the vocational school program, then

the student shall receive apprentice credit, to be applied against a state-certified apprenticeship

program requirement set forth by the state apprenticeship council pursuant to section 28-45-13,

for one hundred forty-four (144) hours of apprenticeship classroom training.

 

     SECTION 2. Section 5-6-24 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-6 entitled "Electricians" is

hereby amended to read as follows:

 

     5-6-24. Apprentices -- Registration fee. -- (a) This chapter does not forbid the

employment of one properly limited registered apprentice electrician working with and under the

direct personal supervision of a licensed journeyperson electrician. Additionally, this chapter does

not forbid the employment of: (1) one properly registered apprentice oil burnerperson working

with and under the direct personal supervision of a licensed oil burnerperson; (2) one properly

registered apprentice fire alarm installer working with and under the direct personal supervision

of a licensed fire alarm installer; or (3) two (2) properly registered apprentice electrical sign

installer working with and under the direct personal supervision of a licensed electrical sign

installer; (4) one properly registered apprentice maintenance electrician working with and under

the direct personal supervision of a valid Class C or Class D license holder; or (5) one properly

registered apprentice lightning protection installer working with and under the direct personal

supervision of a licensed lightning protection installer (LPI). Apprentices are required to register

with the division of professional regulation initially upon payment of a fee of twenty dollars

($20.00) per year. Apprentices are required to register with the division of professional regulation

immediately upon employment with a properly licensed electrical contractor or lightning

protection contractor.

      (b) Indentured apprentice electricians are required to work a minimum of eight thousand

(8,000) hours over a period of time of not less than four (4) years and successfully complete one

hundred forty-four (144) hours of related instruction per year in an indentured apprenticeship

program approved by the Rhode Island department of labor and training, to qualify for the

journeyperson "B" electrician examination; provided, however, apprentices may receive credit for

one hundred forty-four (144) hours of classroom training gained in a vocational school authorized

by the board of regents for elementary and secondary education and approved by the Rhode

Island department of labor and training apprenticeship council. Provided, that the test applicant

has possessed for at least four (4) years prior to the filing of the application a certificate of

registration in full force and effect from the department of labor and training of Rhode Island

specifying the person as an indentured apprentice, and the application of an applicant is

accompanied by an affidavit or affidavits of his or her employer or former employers or other

reasonably satisfactory evidence showing that the applicant has been actually engaged in

electrical work as an apprentice in Rhode Island during those four (4) years, or the application is

accompanied by an affidavit or other reasonably satisfactory evidence showing that the applicant

has successfully completed a course of study in a recognized college or university and has

pursued a course of electrical technology for at least two (2) academic years or is the recipient of

an associate degree in electrical technology, and has thereafter been indentured by the department

of labor and training as an apprentice for at least two (2) years and employed as an indentured

apprentice by a duly licensed electrician master in this state for a period of two (2) years, or a

showing that the applicant possesses a certificate of license issued under the laws of another state.

Limited registered apprentice electricians shall be required to work a minimum of four thousand

(4,000) hours over a period of time of not less than two (2) years.

      (c) Indentured apprentice maintenance electricians are required to work a minimum of

six thousand (6,000) hours over a period of time of not less than three (3) years and successfully

complete a one hundred forty-four (144) hours of related instruction per year in an indentured

apprenticeship program approved by the Rhode Island department of labor and training, to qualify

for the journeyperson "M" electrician examination. Provided, however, that the test applicant has

possessed for at least three (3) years prior to the filing of the application a certificate of

registration in full force and effect from the department of labor and training of Rhode Island

specifying the person as an indentured apprentice, and the application of an applicant is

accompanied by an affidavit or affidavits of his or her employer or former employers or other

reasonably satisfactory evidence showing that the applicant has been actually engaged in

electrical work as an apprentice in Rhode Island during those three (3) years. Class M

journeyperson electricians may qualify to take the journeyperson "B" electrician examination

upon registering as a fourth year apprentice and becoming employed by a properly licensed Class

A electrical contractor for that period of time.

      (d) Apprentice lightning protection installers are required to work a minimum of four

thousand (4,000) hours over a period of time of not less than two (2) years to qualify for the

lightning protection installer (LPI) examination. Provided, that the test applicant has possessed

for at least two (2) years prior to the filing of the application a certificate of registration in full

force and effect from the department of labor and training of Rhode Island specifying the person

as an apprentice lightning protection installer, and the application of an applicant is accompanied

by an affidavit or affidavits of his or her employer or former employers or other reasonably

satisfactory evidence showing that the applicant has been actually engaged in lightning protection

work as an apprentice during those two (2) years.

 

     SECTION 3. Section 5-20-17 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-20 entitled "Plumbers

and Irrigators" is hereby amended to read as follows:

 

     5-20-17. Qualifications of journeyperson -- Application fee. -- (a) No application for a

journeyperson's license shall be filed at the department of labor and training nor shall any

applicant be permitted to take the examination for a license as a journeyperson plumber, unless:

      (1) The application is accompanied by a nonrefundable application fee of seventy-five

dollars ($75.00); and

      (2) The applicant shall have possessed for at least four (4) years prior to the filing of the

application a certificate of registration in full force and effect from the department of labor and

training specifying that person as a registered apprentice plumber and the application of that

applicant is accompanied with an affidavit or affidavits of his or her employer or former

employers or other reasonably satisfactory evidence showing that the applicant has been actually

engaged in plumbing work as an apprentice plumber in the state of Rhode Island for eight

thousand (8,000) hours of on the job training during a five (5) year period, which shall include the

successful completion of five hundred seventy-six (576) hours of related instruction at a training

program recognized by the department of labor and training, or; provided, however, the

apprentice may receive credit for one hundred forty-four (144) hours of classroom training

applied against the five hundred seventy-six (576) hours required pursuant to this section, gained

in a vocational school authorized by the board of regents for elementary and secondary education;

and approved by the Rhode Island department of labor and training state apprenticeship council.

     (3) The the application is accompanied with an affidavit or other reasonably satisfactory

evidence showing that the applicant has been a registered student in a recognized college,

university, or trade school and has pursued a course of plumbing or sanitary engineering for at

least two (2) academic years, ; or

     (4) The applicant is the recipient of an associate degree in either plumbing or sanitary

engineering, and has been registered by the department of labor and training as an apprentice

plumber for at least two (2) years and at all times while being employed as a registered apprentice

plumber by a duly licensed master plumber in this state for a period of two (2) years, ; or

     (5) The the application is accompanied by an affidavit or other reasonably satisfactory

evidence showing that the applicant possesses a certificate of license, issued under the laws of

another state, provided that the requirements are the same as the state specifying that person as a

journeyperson plumber.

     (6) The records of the hours of on the job training and the hours of related instruction

should be maintained in a mutually responsible manner, through a joint effort on the part of the

master plumber and the apprentice.

     (7) The completed application is to be filed with the department at least fifteen (15) days

prior to the examination date.

 

     SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage.

     

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LC02237/SUB A

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