Senate Bill 0818er
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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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1998 Legislature CS for SB 818
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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1998 Legislature CS for SB 818
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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1998 Legislature CS for SB 818
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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