Florida Senate - 2024 CS for SB 1142 By the Committee on Fiscal Policy; and Senator Hooper 594-03078-24 20241142c1 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to occupational licensing; amending s. 3 489.117, F.S.; requiring the Construction Industry 4 Licensing Board within the Department of Business and 5 Professional Regulation to issue registrations to 6 eligible persons under certain circumstances; 7 providing that the board is responsible for 8 disciplining such licensees; requiring the board to 9 make licensure and disciplinary information available 10 through the automated information system; providing 11 for the fees for the issuance of the registrations and 12 renewal registrations; requiring the department to 13 provide specified license, renewal, and cancellation 14 notices; conforming provisions to changes made by the 15 act; providing an effective date. 16 17 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 18 19 Section 1. Paragraphs (a) and (b) of subsection (1) and 20 subsection (2) of section 489.117, Florida Statutes, are amended 21 to read: 22 489.117 Registration; specialty contractors.— 23 (1)(a) AAnyperson engaged in the business of a contractor 24 as defined in s. 489.105(3)(a)-(o) must be registered before 25 engaging in business as a contractor in this state, unless he or 26 she is certified. Except as provided in paragraph (2)(b), to be 27 initially registered, the applicant mustshallsubmit the 28 required fee and file evidence of successful compliance with the 29 local examination and licensing requirements, if any, in the 30 area for which registration is desired. An examination is not 31 required for registration. 32 (b) Registration allows the registrant to engage in 33 contracting only in the counties, municipalities, or development 34 districts where he or she has complied with all local licensing 35 requirements, if any, and only for the type of work covered by 36 the registration. 37 (2)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), the board may 38 not issue aNonew registrationmay be issued by the boardafter 39 July 1, 1993, based on any certificate of competency or license 40 for a category of contractor defined in s. 489.105(3)(a)-(o) 41 which is issued by a municipal or county government that does 42 not exercise disciplinary control and oversight over such 43 locally licensed contractors, including forwarding a recommended 44 order in each action to the board as provided in s. 489.131(7). 45 For purposes of this subsection and s. 489.131(10), the board 46 shall determine the adequacy of such disciplinary control by 47 reviewing the local government’s ability to process and 48 investigate complaints and to take disciplinary action against 49 locally licensed contractors. 50 (b) The board shall issue a registration to an eligible 51 applicant to engage in the business of a contractor in a 52 specified local jurisdiction, provided each of the following 53 conditions are satisfied: 54 1. The applicant held, in any local jurisdiction in this 55 state during 2021, 2022, or 2023, a certificate of registration 56 issued by the state or a local license issued by a local 57 jurisdiction to perform work in a category of contractor defined 58 in s. 489.105(3)(a)-(o). 59 2. The applicant submits all of the following to the board: 60 a. Evidence of the certificate of registration or local 61 license held by the applicant as required by subparagraph 1. 62 b. Evidence that the specified local jurisdiction does not 63 have a license type available for the category of work for which 64 the applicant was issued a certificate of registration or local 65 license during 2021, 2022, or 2023, such as a notification on 66 the website of the local jurisdiction or an e-mail or letter 67 from the office of the local building official or local building 68 department stating that such license type is not available in 69 that local jurisdiction. 70 c. Evidence that the applicant has submitted the required 71 fee. 72 d. Evidence of compliance with the insurance and financial 73 responsibility requirements of s. 489.115(5). 74 75 An examination is not required for an applicant seeking a 76 registration under this paragraph. 77 (c) The board is responsible for disciplining licensees 78 issued a registration under paragraph (b). The board shall make 79 such licensure and disciplinary information available through 80 the automated information system provided pursuant to s. 81 455.2286. 82 (d) The fees for an applicant seeking a registration under 83 paragraph (b) and renewal of such registration every 2 years are 84 the same as the fees established by the board for applications, 85 registration and renewal, and record making and recordkeeping, 86 as set forth in s. 489.109. The department shall provide 87 license, renewal, and cancellation notices pursuant to ss. 88 455.273 and 455.275. 89 Section 2. This act shall take effect July 1, 2024.