HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1706        FILED ON: 1/17/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 237

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

John D. Keenan

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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:

The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:

An Act relative to streamlining home improvement contractor registration.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 1706        FILED ON: 1/17/2013

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 237

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the Year Two Thousand Thirteen

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An Act relative to streamlining home improvement contractor registration.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority of the same, as follows:
 

SECTION 1.  Section 9 of Chapter 142A of the General Laws as appearing in the 2010 official edition is hereby amended by inserting after subsection (c) the following subsection:-

(d)  Each applicant for registration as a home improvement contractor or subcontractor shall submit a completed copy of an application form supplied by the director and necessary supporting documents to the director, along with such fees as required by section 11, provided that applicants shall be given the option to pay any registration fee or guarantee fund fee using a major credit card.

SECTION 2.  Section 11 of said chapter 142A is hereby amended by striking subsection (a) and inserting in its place the following subsection:-

(a)Every contractor or subcontractor as defined in this chapter shall pay a registration fee in an amount equal to the sum of (i) the fee paid by construction supervisors pursuant to section ninety-four of chapter one hundred and forty-three and (ii) an amount necessary to recover the aggregate cost to the Commonwealth associated with the use of credit cards to pay fees charged pursuant to this chapter.  The registration fee required under this paragraph shall be payable upon application for registration and renewal.

SECTION 3.  Section 14 of said chapter 142A is hereby amended by striking, in line 37, the words “telecommunications and energy” and inserting in its place the following words:-

public utilities

SECTION 4.  The Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation shall conduct a study on the solvency of the Home Improvement Contractor Guarantee Fund and provide legislative recommendations to increase the amount of revenue contributed to the fund and to shorten the waiting time for qualifying homeowners to receive payments from the fund.  The study shall be submitted to the chairs of the joint committee on consumer protection and professional licensure by January 1, 2014.

SECTION 5.  The office of consumer affairs and business regulation and the division of professional licensure shall study the most appropriate way to allow the home improvement contractor program and boards of registration overseen by the division to allow applications to be processed online and provide legislative and regulatory changes necessary to increase the ease of registration for registrants and licensees.  The study shall be submitted to the chairs of the joint committee on consumer protection and professional licensure by September 1, 2015.

SECTION 6.   Sections 1 and 2 shall take effect on July 1, 2014.