Senate Bill sb1090c1

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 1090

    By the Committee on Environmental Preservation; and Senator
    Baker




    592-1700-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the regulation of wells;

  3         amending s. 373.323, F.S.; authorizing licensed

  4         water well contractors to act as prime

  5         contractors for certain work and to subcontract

  6         with other contractors; amending s. 373.324,

  7         F.S.; requiring the Department of Environmental

  8         Protection to include an administrative fee in

  9         its license-renewal method prescribed by rule;

10         waiving continuing education requirements for

11         license renewal of certain water well

12         contractors; providing exemptions from

13         continuing education requirements for water

14         well contractors on active military duty;

15         requiring the department to adopt rules

16         exempting the spouses of active-duty military

17         personnel from license renewal requirements

18         under certain circumstances; amending s.

19         373.333, F.S.; increasing the amount of the

20         administrative fine a water management district

21         may impose for certain water well contracting

22         violations; allowing the water management

23         district to impose an administrative fine

24         against unlicensed water well contractors;

25         providing an effective date.

26  

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

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29         Section 1.  Subsection (11) is added to section

30  373.323, Florida Statutes, to read:

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 1090
    592-1700-06




 1         373.323  Licensure of water well contractors;

 2  application, qualifications, and examinations; equipment

 3  identification.--

 4         (11)  A licensed water well contractor may act as a

 5  prime contractor where the majority of work to be performed

 6  under the contract is within the scope of his or her license.

 7  A licensed water well contractor may subcontract to other

 8  contractors licensed to perform the remaining work which is

 9  part of the project contracted.

10         Section 2.  Subsection (3) of section 373.324, Florida

11  Statutes, is amended, and subsections (7) and (8) are added to

12  that section, to read:

13         373.324  License renewal.--

14         (3)  The department shall prescribe by rule the method

15  for renewal of a license, which shall include continuing

16  education requirements of not less than 12 classroom hours for

17  each renewal cycle. However, if a water well contractor has

18  received his or her first license within 180 days before the

19  end of the biennium renewal of licenses, the continuing

20  education requirements shall be waived for the licensee's

21  first renewal cycle. Notwithstanding s. 373.329, the

22  department by rule shall establish an administrative fee based

23  on the actual costs incurred in administering the

24  responsibilities related to continuing education requirements.

25         (7)  Notwithstanding the renewal requirements of

26  subsection (3), any water well contractor who is serving on

27  active duty as a member of the Armed Forces of the United

28  States who, at the time of becoming an active-duty member, had

29  an active water well contractor license issued under this part

30  and was entitled to practice or engage in water well

31  contracting in this state shall be kept in active-license

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 1090
    592-1700-06




 1  status and shall be exempt from license renewal provisions, as

 2  long as he or she is an active-duty member of the Armed Forces

 3  of the United States and for a period of 6 months after

 4  discharge from active-duty status, provided he or she is not

 5  engaged in water well contracting in the private sector for

 6  profit. Additionally, in adopting rules exempting such

 7  active-duty members of the Armed Forces of the United States,

 8  the department shall adopt rules exempting the spouses of

 9  active-duty members of the Armed Forces of the United States

10  from licensure renewal provisions when the family must

11  relocate out of state due to active-duty assignment.

12         Section 3.  Paragraph (c) of subsection (5) of section

13  373.333, Florida Statutes, is amended, and subsection (8) is

14  added to that section, to read:

15         373.333  Disciplinary guidelines; adoption and

16  enforcement; license suspension or revocation.--

17         (5)  When the water management district finds a person

18  guilty of any of the grounds set forth in subsection (4), it

19  may enter an order imposing one or more of the following

20  disciplinary actions:

21         (c)  Imposition of an administrative fine not to exceed

22  $5,000 $1,000 for each count or separate offense.

23         (8)  The water management district may impose through

24  an order an administrative fine not to exceed $5,000 against

25  an unlicensed person when it determines that the unlicensed

26  person has engaged in the practice of water well contracting,

27  for which a license is required.

28         Section 4.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

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    Florida Senate - 2006                           CS for SB 1090
    592-1700-06




 1          STATEMENT OF SUBSTANTIAL CHANGES CONTAINED IN
                       COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR
 2                         Senate Bill 1090

 3                                 

 4  The committee substitute clarifies that the licensed water
    well contractor may act as a prime contractor where the
 5  majority of the work to be performed under the contract is
    within the scope of his or her license. The licensed water
 6  well contractor may subcontract with other contractors
    licensed to perform the remaining work which is part of the
 7  project contracted.

 8  The continuing education requirements are waived if the water
    well contractor has received his or her first license within
 9  180 days before the end of the biennium renewal of licenses.
    The Department of Environmental Protection shall establish an
10  administrative fee based on the actual costs incurred in
    administering the responsibilities related to the continuing
11  education requirements.

12  The water management district may impose through an order an
    administrative fine not to exceed $5,000 against an unlicensed
13  person when it determines that the unlicensed person has
    engaged in the practice of water well contracting, for which a
14  license is required.

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