CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.House Bill 3295
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 3295
By Representative Trovillion
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.
15
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 $225 $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 House of Representatives - 1998 HB 3295
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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 3-year period. The
21 biennial annual renewal fee for an inactive status certificate
22 shall be $75. An inactive status certificate may be
23 reactivated upon application to the State Fire Marshal and
24 payment of the initial application fee.
25 (3)(a) Effective July 1, 1996, A certificate for the
26 Contractor I, II, III, and IV classifications as defined in
27 this chapter shall not be renewed unless the certificateholder
28 produces documentation of at least 24 contact hours of
29 continuing education in the fire protection discipline.
30 Holders of Contractor V certificates are required to obtain 14
31 contact hours of continuing education each year prior to
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Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 3295
563-141-98
1 renewal, at least 1 hour of which is in the fire protection
2 discipline. Any continuing education hours approved pursuant
3 to chapter 489 by the Construction Industry Licensing Board
4 for underground utility and excavation contractors, or
5 approved for any other licensees under that board which
6 perform activities requiring licensure as a Contractor V,
7 shall be considered as also approved to comply with Contractor
8 V continuing education requirements. A Contractor V shall
9 provide to the State Fire Marshal evidence of approval of such
10 coursework by the Construction Industry Licensing Board. Any
11 continuing education hours approved by the department for a
12 Contractor V certificateholder shall be considered as also
13 approved to comply with continuing education requirements for
14 underground utility and excavation contractors, or approved
15 for any other licensees under that board which perform
16 activities requiring licensure as a Contractor V. Such
17 continuing education requirements under this section may
18 include seminars and conferences if the program and subject
19 thereof is acceptable to the State Fire Marshal. The contact
20 hours of continuing education must be obtained within the
21 licensure period year, except that acceptable training and
22 education including seminars and conferences received within
23 18 months prior to June 30, 1997, will be allowed during this
24 first year of continuing education requirements.
25 (b) Notwithstanding paragraph (a), and only for the
26 renewal effective June 30, 1998, a holder of a Class I, Class
27 II, Class III, or Class IV certificate shall produce
28 documentation of at least 12 contact hours of continuing
29 education in the fire protection discipline and a holder of a
30 Class V certificate shall produce documentation of at least 7
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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
Florida House of Representatives - 1998 HB 3295
563-141-98
1 contact hours of continuing education, at least 1 hour of
2 which is in the fire protection discipline.
3 Section 3. Section 633.60, Florida Statutes, is
4 amended to read:
5 633.60 Automatic fire sprinkler systems for one-family
6 dwellings, two-family dwellings, and mobile homes.--
7 (1) It is unlawful for any person to engage in the
8 business or act in the capacity of a contractor of automatic
9 fire sprinkler systems for one-family dwellings, two-family
10 dwellings, and mobile homes without having been duly certified
11 and holding a current annual renewal certificate as a
12 Contractor I, Contractor II, or Contractor IV as defined in s.
13 633.021.
14 (2) A person who violates any provision of this
15 section commits is guilty of a misdemeanor of the second
16 degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.
17 Section 4. This act shall take effect upon becoming a
18 law.
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21 HOUSE SUMMARY
22
Changes expiration and renewal of certificates of
23 competency for fire protection contractors from an annual
to a biennial basis. Revises continuing education
24 requirements and provides transitional continuing
education requirements, to conform. Increases the renewal
25 fee, to conform. Amends a provision of law relating to
engaging in the business or acting in the capacity of a
26 contractor of automatic fire sprinkler systems, to
conform. See bill for details.
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