Florida Senate - 2019                                     SB 604
       
       
        
       By Senator Pizzo
       
       
       
       
       
       38-01556-19                                            2019604__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to registered contractor licensing;
    3         amending s. 489.514, F.S.; extending the date by which
    4         an applicant must make application for a license to be
    5         grandfathered; providing an effective date.
    6          
    7  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
    8  
    9         Section 1. Section 489.514, Florida Statutes, is amended to
   10  read:
   11         489.514 Certification for registered contractors;
   12  grandfathering provisions.—
   13         (1) The board shall, upon receipt of a completed
   14  application, appropriate fee, and proof of compliance with the
   15  provisions of this section, issue:
   16         (a) To an applying registered electrical contractor, a
   17  certificate as an electrical contractor, as defined in s.
   18  489.505(12);
   19         (b) To an applying registered alarm system contractor, a
   20  certificate in the matching alarm system contractor category, as
   21  defined in s. 489.505(2)(a) or (b); or
   22         (c) To an applying registered electrical specialty
   23  contractor, a certificate in the matching electrical specialty
   24  contractor category, as defined in s. 489.505(19).
   25         (2) Any contractor registered under this part who makes
   26  application under this section to the board shall meet each of
   27  the following requirements for certification:
   28         (a) Currently holds a valid registered local license in the
   29  category of electrical contractor, alarm system contractor, or
   30  electrical specialty contractor.
   31         (b) Has, for that category, passed a written, proctored
   32  examination that the board finds to be substantially similar to
   33  the examination required to be licensed as a certified
   34  contractor under this part. For purposes of this subsection, a
   35  written, proctored examination such as that produced by the
   36  National Assessment Institute, Block and Associates, NAI/Block,
   37  Experior Assessments, Professional Testing, Inc., or Assessment
   38  Systems, Inc., shall be considered to be substantially similar
   39  to the examination required to be licensed as a certified
   40  contractor. The board may not impose or make any requirements
   41  regarding the nature or content of these cited examinations.
   42         (c) Has at least 5 years of experience as a contractor in
   43  that contracting category, or as an inspector or building
   44  administrator with oversight over that category, at the time of
   45  application. For contractors, only time periods in which the
   46  contractor license is active and the contractor is not on
   47  probation shall count toward the 5 years required under this
   48  subsection.
   49         (d) Has not had his or her contractor’s license revoked at
   50  any time, had his or her contractor’s license suspended in the
   51  last 5 years, or been assessed a fine in excess of $500 in the
   52  last 5 years.
   53         (e) Is in compliance with the insurance and financial
   54  responsibility requirements in s. 489.515(1)(b).
   55         (3) An applicant must make application by November 1, 2021
   56  2015, to be licensed pursuant to this section.
   57         Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2019.