Florida Senate - 2022 CS for SB 1140
By the Committee on Regulated Industries; and Senator Perry
580-02080-22 20221140c1
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to alarm systems; amending s.
3 489.5185, F.S.; authorizing individuals with certain
4 fire alarm certifications to complete a reduced number
5 of training and continuing education hours for the
6 prevention of false alarms; requiring the training and
7 continuing education sponsors and courses to be
8 approved by the Electrical Contractors’ Licensing
9 Board; amending s. 553.793, F.S.; revising the
10 definition of the term “low-voltage alarm system
11 project”; creating s. 553.7932, F.S.; defining terms;
12 authorizing a local enforcement agency to require a
13 contractor to submit certain documentation and payment
14 for obtaining a permit for a fire alarm system
15 project; prohibiting a local enforcement agency from
16 requiring plans and specifications as a condition for
17 obtaining a permit for a fire alarm system project;
18 requiring a local enforcement agency to issue certain
19 permits in person or electronically; requiring a local
20 enforcement agency to perform at least one inspection
21 for a fire alarm system project; requiring a
22 contractor to keep certain documentation at a worksite
23 for a fire alarm system project and make such
24 documentation available for inspection; providing an
25 effective date.
26
27 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
28
29 Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 489.5185, Florida
30 Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (f) is added to subsection
31 (2) of that section, to read:
32 489.5185 Fire alarm system agents.—
33 (2)
34 (f) If a person holds a current National Institute of
35 Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) Level II
36 certification or higher in Fire Alarm Systems or Inspection and
37 Testing of Fire Alarm Systems, a current certification as an
38 Electronic Security Association (ESA) Certified Fire Alarm
39 Technician, or a current certification as an ESA Certified Fire
40 Alarm Designer, he or she is required to complete only the 2
41 hours of training in the prevention of false alarms required by
42 paragraph (1)(b) from a board-approved sponsor of training and
43 through a board-approved training course.
44 (5)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), each fire alarm
45 system agent must receive 6 hours of continuing education on
46 fire alarm system installation and repair and false alarm
47 prevention every 2 years from a board-approved sponsor of
48 training and through a board-approved training course.
49 (b) A person holding a current NICET Level II certification
50 or higher in Fire Alarm Systems or Inspection and Testing of
51 Fire Alarm Systems, certification as an ESA Certified Fire Alarm
52 Technician, or certification as an ESA Certified Fire Alarm
53 Designer is required to complete only 2 hours of continuing
54 education training in the prevention of false alarms every 2
55 years from a board-approved sponsor of training and through a
56 board-approved training course.
57 Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
58 553.793, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
59 553.793 Streamlined low-voltage alarm system installation
60 permitting.—
61 (1) As used in this section, the term:
62 (b) “Low-voltage alarm system project” means a project
63 related to the installation, maintenance, inspection,
64 replacement, or service of a new or existing alarm system, as
65 defined in s. 489.505, including closed-circuit television
66 systems used to signal or detect a burglary, fire, robbery, or
67 medical emergency, that is hardwired and operating at low
68 voltage, as defined in the National Electrical Code Standard 70,
69 Current Edition, or a new or existing low-voltage electric
70 fence. The term also includes, and ancillary components or
71 equipment attached to such a low-voltage alarm system or low
72 voltage electric fence, including, but not limited to, home
73 automation equipment, thermostats, closed-circuit television
74 systems, access controls, battery recharging devices, and video
75 cameras.
76 Section 3. Section 553.7932, Florida Statutes, is created
77 to read:
78 553.7932 Simplified permitting process for fire alarm
79 system projects.—
80 (1) As used in this section, the term:
81 (a) “Contractor” means a person who is qualified to engage
82 in the business of electrical or alarm system contracting
83 pursuant to a certificate or registration issued by the
84 department under part II of chapter 489.
85 (b) “Fire alarm system project” means a fire alarm system
86 alteration of a total of 20 or fewer initiating devices and
87 notification devices, or the installation or replacement of a
88 fire communicator connected to an existing fire alarm control
89 panel in an existing commercial, residential, apartment,
90 cooperative, or condominium building.
91 (2)(a) A local enforcement agency may require a contractor,
92 as a condition of obtaining a permit for a fire alarm system
93 project, to submit a completed application and payment.
94 (b) A local enforcement agency may not require a contractor
95 to submit plans or specifications as a condition of obtaining a
96 permit for a fire alarm system project.
97 (3) A local enforcement agency must issue a permit for a
98 fire alarm system project in person or electronically.
99 (4) A local enforcement agency must require at least one
100 inspection of a fire alarm system project to ensure compliance
101 with applicable codes and standards. If a fire alarm system
102 project fails an inspection, the contractor must take corrective
103 action as necessary to pass inspection.
104 (5) A contractor must keep a copy of the plans and
105 specifications at a fire alarm system project worksite and make
106 such plans and specifications available to the inspector at each
107 inspection.
108 Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022.