Florida Senate - 2013                                     SB 942
       
       
       
       By Senator Diaz de la Portilla
       
       
       
       
       40-01418-13                                            2013942__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to grandfathering registered
    3         contractors; amending s. 489.514, F.S.; extending the
    4         date by which an applicant must make application for a
    5         license to be grandfathered; providing an effective
    6         date.
    7  
    8  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    9  
   10         Section 1. Section 489.514, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   11  read:
   12         489.514 Certification for registered contractors;
   13  grandfathering provisions.—
   14         (1) The board shall, upon receipt of a completed
   15  application, appropriate fee, and proof of compliance with the
   16  provisions of this section, issue:
   17         (a) To an applying registered electrical contractor, a
   18  certificate as an electrical contractor, as defined in s.
   19  489.505(12); or
   20         (b) To an applying registered alarm system contractor, a
   21  certificate in the matching alarm system contractor category, as
   22  defined in s. 489.505(2)(a) or (b); or
   23         (c) To an applying registered electrical specialty
   24  contractor, a certificate in the matching electrical specialty
   25  contractor category, as defined in s. 489.505(19).
   26         (2) Any contractor registered under this part who makes
   27  application under this section to the board shall meet each of
   28  the following requirements for certification:
   29         (a) Currently holds a valid registered local license in the
   30  category of electrical contractor, alarm system contractor, or
   31  electrical specialty contractor.
   32         (b) Has, for that category, passed a written, proctored
   33  examination that the board finds to be substantially similar to
   34  the examination required to be licensed as a certified
   35  contractor under this part. For purposes of this subsection, a
   36  written, proctored examination such as that produced by the
   37  National Assessment Institute, Block and Associates, NAI/Block,
   38  Experior Assessments, Professional Testing, Inc., or Assessment
   39  Systems, Inc., shall be considered to be substantially similar
   40  to the examination required to be licensed as a certified
   41  contractor. The board may not impose or make any requirements
   42  regarding the nature or content of these cited examinations.
   43         (c) Has at least 5 years of experience as a contractor in
   44  that contracting category, or as an inspector or building
   45  administrator with oversight over that category, at the time of
   46  application. For contractors, only time periods in which the
   47  contractor license is active and the contractor is not on
   48  probation shall count toward the 5 years required under this
   49  subsection.
   50         (d) Has not had his or her contractor’s license revoked at
   51  any time, had his or her contractor’s license suspended in the
   52  last 5 years, or been assessed a fine in excess of $500 in the
   53  last 5 years.
   54         (e) Is in compliance with the insurance and financial
   55  responsibility requirements in s. 489.515(1)(b).
   56         (3) An applicant must make application by November 1, 2015
   57  2004, to be licensed pursuant to this section.
   58         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2013.