MECH. CONTRACTOR; WORK CLASSIFICATION                                                                                                     S.B. 60:

                                                                                                                                                SUMMARY AS PASSED BY THE SENATE

Senate Bill 60 (as passed by the Senate)

Sponsor:   Senator Roger Victory

Committee:   Regulatory Reform

Date Completed:   3-4-21

CONTENT

The bill would amend Article 8 (Mechanical Contractors) of the Skilled Trades Regulation Act to modify provisions governing the application for a work classification examination.  

The Act requires the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) to issue a mechanical contractor's license under Article 8 with one or more of the following classifications and limitations:

 --        Hydronic heating and cooling and process piping.

 --        Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment.

 --        Ductwork.

 --        Refrigeration.

 --        Limited heating service.

 --        Limited refrigeration service.

 --        Unlimited heating service.

 --        Unlimited refrigeration service.

 --        Fire suppression.

 --        Specialty.

The bill would refer to refrigeration  and air conditioning  service.

Under the Act, an applicant is not eligible for a work classification examination under Article 8 unless the applicant meets the requirements provided in Article 2 (Issuance of Licenses), is of good moral character, and has a minimum of three years of experience, or an equivalent of that experience, that is acceptable to the Board of Mechanical Rules, and has shown to LARA, in one or more of the work classifications described above.

Instead, under the bill, an applicant would not be eligible for a work classification examination under Article 8 unless the applicant met the requirements provided in Article 2, was of good moral character, and met one or more of the following conditions: a) had a minimum of three years or 6,000 hours of experience in the work classification for which he or she was seeking a license, or an equivalent of that experience, that was acceptable to the Board and shown to LARA, in one or more of the work classifications described above or b) held currently, and had held continuously for at least three years immediately preceding his or her application, an active license under the Act in a work classification as HVAC equipment, refrigeration, limited heating, or limited refrigeration and air conditioning service and was applying for license in the following work classifications as applicable:

 --        Ductwork, limited or unlimited heating service, limited or unlimited refrigeration and air conditioning service, or specialty, if he or she currently held a license in HVAC equipment.