2022 -- S 2978

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LC005923

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2022

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- ELECTRICIANS

     Introduced By: Senator Frank A. Ciccone

     Date Introduced: May 19, 2022

     Referred To: Senate Labor

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Sections 5-6-2 and 5-6-8 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-6 entitled

"Electricians" are hereby amended to read as follows:

     5-6-2. Work for which license required.

     (a)(1) No person, firm, or corporation shall enter into, engage in, solicit, advertise, bid for,

or work at the business of installing, maintaining, servicing, and testing wires, conduits, apparatus,

which includes support systems specifically for electrical equipment and devices, fixtures,

electrical signs, lightning-protection equipment as defined in § 5-6-1, lighting, control of electrical

devices, handling and removal for installation or re-installation of all electrical equipment, devices,

apparatus, and similar items provided in this subsection within the confines of the jobsite, and other

appliances for carrying or using or generating electricity for light, heat, fire alarms, as defined in

chapter 28.25 of title 23, entitled "Fire Alarm Systems," or power purposes, exclusive of low-

voltage wiring for heating/refrigeration equipment, or work at the business of removing and

reattaching existing electrical meters, unless that person, firm, or corporation shall have received a

license and a certificate for the business, issued by the state board of examiners of electricians of

the division of professional regulation of the department of labor and training in accordance with

the provisions set forth in this chapter.

     (2) That person shall carry this license on his or her person at all times while so engaged,

and shall affix his or her contractor's license number to any advertisement and/or contract he or she

executes and/or to any bid he or she files with any consumer for his or her professional services

and to any applicable permit required for the performance of those services.

     (b) Any person, firm, or corporation that is required to apply for a permit from a local

building official for any work required to be performed by a person licensed under the provisions

of this chapter shall cause the work to be performed by a person licensed under the provisions of

this chapter; provided, that the provisions of this section, except the provision regarding removing

and reattaching existing electrical meters, shall not apply to owner-occupied, single-family homes.

     5-6-8. Contractor's certificates/licenses.

     (a) Electrical contractor's license. A Certificate A shall be issued to any person, firm, or

corporation, qualified under this chapter, engaging in, or about to engage in, the business of

installing, maintaining, servicing, and testing electrical wires, conduits, apparatus, which includes

support systems specifically for electrical equipment and devices, fixtures, fire alarm and safety

communication systems, and other electrical appliances, lighting, control of electrical devices,

handling and removal for installation or re-installation of all electrical equipment, devices,

apparatus, and similar items provided in this subsection within the confines of the jobsite, excluding

low-voltage wiring for heating, ventilating, and air conditioning equipment. The certificate shall

specify the name of the person, firm, or corporation applying for it and the name of the person, who

in the case of a firm is one of its members, and in the case of a corporation, is one of its officers,

passing the examination by which he or she or it is authorized to enter upon, or engage in, business

as prescribed in the certificate. The holding of a Certificate A does not entitle the holder

individually to engage in or perform the actual work of installing, maintaining, servicing, and

testing electric wires, conduits, or appliances as previously described in this chapter, but entitles

him or her to conduct business as an electrical contractor.

     (b) Burner contractor's license. A Certificate E shall be issued to any person, firm, or

corporation qualified under this chapter and engaged in, or about to engage in, the business of a

burner contractor as defined in § 5-6-1. The certificate shall specify the name of the person, firm,

or corporation applying for it and the name of the person who, in the case of a firm is one of its

members, and in the case of a corporation is one of its officers, passing the examination, by which

he or she or it is authorized to enter upon, or engage in, business as prescribed in the certificate.

The holding of a Certificate E does not entitle the holder individually to engage in or perform any

work on, or in connection with, electric wires, conduits, and appliances as previously described in

this chapter, but entitles the holder to contract to do that work, to the extent permitted in this chapter,

through the employment of burnerpersons holding a Certificate F. A burner contractor who is the

holder of a Certificate A is not required to obtain a Certificate E.

     (c) Fire alarm contractor's license. A Certificate AF shall be issued to any person, firm, or

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corporation qualified under this chapter and engaged in, or about to engage in, the business of a

fire alarm contractor as defined in § 5-6-1. The certificate shall specify the name of the person,

firm, or corporation applying for it and the person who, in the case of a firm is one of its members,

and in the case of a corporation is one of its officers, passing the examination by which he or she

or it is authorized to enter upon, or engage in, business as prescribed in the certificate. The holding

of a Certificate AF does not entitle the holder individually to engage in, or perform and work on,

or in connection with, electric wires, fire alarm wires, conduits, and appliances as previously

described in this chapter, but entitles the holder to contract to do that work to the extent permitted

in this chapter through the employment of fire alarm installers holding a Certificate BF. A

contractor who is the holder of a Certificate A is not required to obtain a Certificate BF.

     (d) Electrical sign contractor's license. A Certificate SCF shall be issued to any person,

firm, or corporation qualified under this chapter and engaged in or about to engage in the business

of electrical sign installations, as defined in § 5-6-1.

     (e) Lightning-protection contractor. A Certificate LPC shall be issued to any person, firm,

or corporation qualified under this chapter and engaged in, or about to engage in, the business of

lightning-protection contractor as defined in § 5-6-1. The Certificate LPC shall specify the name

of the person, firm, or corporation applying for it and the person, who in the case of a firm, is one

of its members, and in the case of a corporation, is one of its officers, passing the examination by

which he or she or it is authorized to enter upon or engage in business as prescribed in the certificate.

The holding of a Certificate LPC does not entitle the holder individually to engage in, or perform

and work on, or in connection with, the installation of lightning-protection equipment as defined in

§ 5-6-1, unless that individual also holds a Certificate LPI, but entitles the holder to contract to do

that work to the extent permitted in this chapter through the employment of lightning-protection

installers holding a Certificate LPI.

     (f) Sign renovation electrical license. A certificate SRL shall be issued to any person, firm,

or corporation qualified under this chapter and engaged in, or about to engage in, the business of

sign renovation or installation of signs when such renovation or installation requires the removal

or installation of no more than three (3) wires.

     (g) Renewable energy professional. A Certificate REP shall be issued to any person, firm,

or corporation, qualified under this chapter, engaged in or about to engage in the business of

installing eligible renewable energy technologies as defined in § 39-26-5. All renewable energy

electrical work, including installing, connecting, maintaining, servicing, and testing all electrical

wires, conduits, and apparatus; mounting the modules to the mounting racks; mounting the

inverters; and tying the inverters into the main electrical panels, shall be done by a licensed

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electrician. Ancillary non-electrical, renewable energy work, such as advertising services;

distribution of palletized materials to final location area of installation including photovoltaic

modules to the mounting racks; and installing the ground and rooftop support brackets and ballast

for rack systems, may be done by any person, firm, or corporation holding a Certificate REP. The

Certificate REP shall specify the name of the person, firm, or corporation applying for it and the

name of the person, who in the case of a firm is one of its members, and in the case of a corporation,

is one of its officers, meeting the requisite education and experience as established in § 5-6-11, by

which he or she or it is authorized to enter upon, or engage in, business as prescribed in the

certificate. The holding of a Certificate REP entitles the holder to contract to do that work to the

extent permitted in this chapter.

     The installation, mechanical fastening, and conjoining of listed solar sheathing systems

that are ten kilowatts (10 kw) or less on residential structures as defined by the Rhode Island one-

and two-family dwelling code may be performed by a registered contractor who or that has been

issued a renewable energy professional certificate (Certificate REP) as defined in § 5-6-11(e) and

above referenced. However, said residential solar sheathing system shall be connected to the

electrical system from the roof edge and energized by a Rhode Island licensed electrician working

in compliance with this chapter. Additionally, the residential solar sheathing systems noted must

be listed and labeled by UL or other recognized electrical device certification organization,

identified and acceptable by the authority having jurisdiction.

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- ELECTRICIANS

***

     This act would include, under the types of electrical work required to be performed by

persons or firms that have an electrical contractor's license, the installation, maintenance, securing

and testing of wires, conduits and apparatus, which includes support systems specifically for

electrical equipment and devices and for lighting, control of electrical devices, and the handling

and removal for installation or re-installation of all electrical equipment, devices and apparatus.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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