Senate Bill 0818c1

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    Florida Senate - 1998                            CS for SB 818

    By the Committee on Banking and Insurance and Senator Horne





    311-1717B-98

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to fire prevention and control;

  3         amending s. 633.537, F.S.; changing expiration

  4         and renewal of certificates of competency for

  5         fire protection contractors from an annual to a

  6         biennial basis; revising continuing education

  7         requirements and providing transitional

  8         continuing education requirements, to conform;

  9         amending s. 633.524, F.S.; increasing the

10         renewal fee, to conform; amending s. 633.60,

11         F.S., relating to engaging in the business or

12         acting in the capacity of a contractor of

13         automatic fire sprinkler systems, to conform;

14         providing an effective date.

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16  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

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18         Section 1.  Subsection (1) of section 633.524, Florida

19  Statutes, is amended to read:

20         633.524  Certificate fees; use and deposit of collected

21  funds.--

22         (1)  The initial application fee for each class of

23  certificate shall be $300. The biennial annual renewal fee for

24  each class of certificate shall be $250 $150. The fee for

25  certificates issued as duplicates or to reflect a change of

26  address shall be $5 each. The fee for each examination or

27  reexamination scheduled shall be $100.

28         Section 2.  Section 633.537, Florida Statutes, is

29  amended to read:

30         633.537  Certificate; expiration; renewal; inactive

31  certificate; continuing education.--

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    Florida Senate - 1998                            CS for SB 818
    311-1717B-98




  1         (1)  Certificates shall expire every 2 years annually

  2  at midnight on June 30. Effective with the June 30, 1998,

  3  renewal, all certificates must be renewed every 2 years. The

  4  failure to renew a certificate during June shall cause the

  5  certificate to become inoperative, and it is unlawful

  6  thereafter for any person to engage, offer to engage, or hold

  7  herself or himself out as engaging in contracting under the

  8  certificate unless the certificate is restored or reissued. A

  9  certificate which is inoperative because of failure to renew

10  shall be restored on payment of the proper renewal fee if the

11  application for restoration is made within 90 days after June

12  30. If the application for restoration is not made within the

13  90-day period, the fee for restoration shall be equal to the

14  original application fee, and, in addition, the State Fire

15  Marshal shall require examination or reexamination of the

16  applicant.

17         (2)  A person who holds a valid certificate may

18  maintain such certificate in an inactive status during which

19  time she or he may not engage in contracting. An inactive

20  status certificate shall be void after a 2-year 3-year period.

21  The biennial annual renewal fee for an inactive status

22  certificate shall be $75. An inactive status certificate may

23  be reactivated upon application to the State Fire Marshal and

24  payment of the initial application fee.

25         (3)(a)1.  Effective July 1, 1996, A certificate for the

26  Contractor I, II, and III, and IV classifications as defined

27  in this chapter shall not be renewed unless the

28  certificateholder produces documentation of at least 32 24

29  contact hours of continuing education in the fire protection

30  discipline during the biennial licensure period. Holders of

31  Contractor IV certificates are required to obtain 14 contact

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    Florida Senate - 1998                            CS for SB 818
    311-1717B-98




  1  hours of continuing education encompassing the appropriate

  2  National Fire Protection Association fire sprinkler documents

  3  prior to renewal. Contractor V certificates are required to

  4  obtain 14 contact hours of continuing education each year

  5  prior to renewal, at least 1 hour of which is in the fire

  6  protection discipline. Any continuing education hours approved

  7  pursuant to chapter 489 by the Construction Industry Licensing

  8  Board for underground utility and excavation contractors, or

  9  approved for any other licensees under that board which

10  perform activities requiring licensure as a Contractor V,

11  shall be considered as also approved to comply with Contractor

12  V continuing education requirements. A Contractor V shall

13  provide to the State Fire Marshal evidence of approval of such

14  coursework by the Construction Industry Licensing Board.

15         2.  Any continuing education hours approved by the

16  department for a Contractor I, Contractor II, Contractor III,

17  Contractor IV, or Contractor V certificateholder shall be

18  considered as also approved to comply with continuing

19  education requirements for underground utility and excavation

20  contractors, or approved for any other licensees under the

21  Construction Industry Licensing that Board which perform

22  activities requiring licensure as a Contractor V. Such

23  continuing education requirements under this section may

24  include seminars and conferences if the program and subject

25  thereof is acceptable to the State Fire Marshal.

26         3.  The contact hours of continuing education must be

27  obtained within the licensure period year, except that

28  acceptable training and education including seminars and

29  conferences received within 18 months prior to June 30, 1997,

30  will be allowed during this first year of continuing education

31  requirements.

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    Florida Senate - 1998                            CS for SB 818
    311-1717B-98




  1         (b)  Notwithstanding paragraph (a), and only for the

  2  renewal effective June 30, 1998, a holder of a Contractor I,

  3  Contractor II, or Contractor III certificate shall produce

  4  documentation of at least 16 contact hours, and a Contractor

  5  IV, 7 contact hours, of continuing education in the fire

  6  protection discipline, and a holder of a Contractor V

  7  certificate shall produce documentation of at least 7 contact

  8  hours of continuing education, at least 1 hour of which is in

  9  the fire protection discipline.

10         Section 3.  Section 633.60, Florida Statutes, is

11  amended to read:

12         633.60  Automatic fire sprinkler systems for one-family

13  dwellings, two-family dwellings, and mobile homes.--

14         (1)  It is unlawful for any person to engage in the

15  business or act in the capacity of a contractor of automatic

16  fire sprinkler systems for one-family dwellings, two-family

17  dwellings, and mobile homes without having been duly certified

18  and holding a current annual renewal certificate as a

19  Contractor I, Contractor II, or Contractor IV as defined in s.

20  633.021.

21         (2)  A person who violates any provision of this

22  section commits is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second

23  degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.

24         Section 4.  This act shall take effect upon becoming a

25  law.

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    Florida Senate - 1998                            CS for SB 818
    311-1717B-98




  1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
  2                         Senate Bill 818

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  4  Increases the biennial licensure fee for fire protection
    system contractors from $225 to $250.
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    Changes the continuing education course hours biennially
  6  required of fire protection system contractors I, II, and III
    from 24 to 32 hours and provides that contractors IV are
  7  required to complete 14 continuing education hours biennially.

  8  Provides that for contractor IV's, the 14 continuing education
    hours must encompass the appropriate National Fire Protection
  9  Association fire sprinkler documentation prior to renewal.

10  Provides that any continuing education courses approved by the
    State Fire Marshal for any classification of fire protection
11  system contractor shall be considered approved for any of the
    licensees under the Construction Industry Licensing Board.
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