HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 111        FILED ON: 1/9/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 242

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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PRESENTED BY:

Harold P. Naughton, Jr.

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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 telecommunications systems contractors and technicians.

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PETITION OF:

HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 111        FILED ON: 1/9/2015

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 242

[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 262 OF 2013-2014.]

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Eighty-Ninth General Court
(2015-2016)

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An Act relative to telecommunications systems contractors and technicians.

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 32 of said chapter 13 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking out the third sentence and inserting in place thereof the following sentence:-

Six of said appointees shall be citizens of the commonwealth: one of whom shall be a master electrician who holds a certificate A license issued under said chapter one hundred and forty-one and has at least ten years experience as an employing master electrician; one shall be a master electrician who holds certificate A and certificate B licenses issued under said chapter one hundred and forty-one, is actively engaged in such business and has at least ten years experience as an employing master electrician; one shall be a journeyman electrician who holds a certificate B license issued under said chapter one hundred and forty-one, is a wage earner and has at least ten years practical experience in the installation of wires and appliances for carrying electricity for light, heat or power purposes; one shall be a systems contractor who holds a certificate C license issued under said chapter, is actively engaged in the business of fire warning security, and telecommunications systems as his principal business and has at least ten years experience as an employing systems contractor; one shall be a systems technician who holds a certificate D license issued under said chapter, is a wage earner and has at least ten years practical experience in the design, installation, repair and maintenance, alteration, service, or the testing of systems; and one shall be a representative of the New England Section of the International Municipal Signal Association who holds at least a level I competency certificate from said association, is a municipal employee and has at least ten years practical experience in the installation, repair and maintenance, alteration, service, or the testing of fire warning, signaling, or telecommunications systems.

SECTION 2.  Section 1 of chapter 141 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition,  is hereby amended by striking out section 1 and inserting in place thereof the following section:-

Section 1. The following words as used in this chapter, unless the context otherwise requires, shall have the following meanings:

“Fee”, a fee to be determined annually by the commissioner of administration under the provision of section three B of chapter seven.

“Fire warning system”, an inherently power limited system of wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures or other appliances installed and interconnected electrically or electronically for the detection of heat, smoke, or products of combustion, or for the transmission of signals or audible alarms.

“Inherently power limited system”, a system requiring no overcurrent protection due to design and construction.

“Journeyman electrician”, a person qualified to do the work of installing, repairing, or maintaining wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures, or other appliances used for heat, light, power, fire warning, security, or telecommunications system purposes.

“Master electrician”, a person, firm or corporation having a regular place of business who, by the employment of journeyman or apprentices, performs the work of installing, repairing or maintaining wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures or other appliances used for light, heat, power, fire warning, security, or telecommunications system purposes; provided, however, that no journeyman electrician so employed shall have more than one apprentice under his supervision; and provided, further, that not more than one such apprentice shall be employed for each journeyman electrician.

“Security system”, an inherently power limited system of wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures, or other appliances installed and interconnected electrically or electronically to permit access control, proprietary signaling, surveillance and the detection of burglary, intrusion, holdup, or other conditions requiring response or the transmission of signals or audible alarms.

“System”, a fire warning, security, telecommunications, or other inherently power limited system, wire, conduit or device which conducts or consumes electricity and is electrically or electronically activated.

“Systems contractor”, a person, firm or corporation having a regular place of business who, by the employment of systems technicians or apprentices, performs the work of installing, repairing or maintaining wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures or other appliances used for systems; provided, however, that no systems technician so employed shall have more than one apprentice under his supervision; and provided, further, that not more than one such apprentice shall be employed for each systems technician.

“Systems technician”, a person qualified to do the work of installing, repairing or maintaining wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures or other appliances used for systems.

“Telecommunications System”, any inherently power limited system of wires, conduits, apparatus, devices, fixtures, or other appliances installed or interconnected electrically or electronically for the purpose to send and/or receive at a distance the transference of voice, sound, video, telephony, digital, data, and/or video transmissions.

SECTION 3.  Section 3 of chapter 141 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition,  is hereby amended by inserting in lines 6 and 32 after the word “wires,” the word:- wireless,; and in line 18 by inserting after the word “security” the word:- , telecommunications

SECTION 4.  Section 7 of chapter 141 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2010 Official Edition, is hereby amended by striking the words in lines 23 through 27 and inserting in place thereof the following words :-  its own premises.

SECTION 5.  Notwithstanding section 3 of chapter 141 of the General Laws or any other general or special law to the contrary, the state examiners of electricians shall issue a certificate C or certificate D to any applicant who presents satisfactory evidence that he possesses the qualifications for the type of license applied for, or to any applicant who shows proof satisfactory to the examiners of at least 3 years of verifiable and continuous experience as a systems contractor of telecommunications systems or experience as a systems technician of telecommunications systems in the commonwealth.  The examiners may deny an applicant a certificate C or certificate D based on insufficient qualifications for fire warning or security systems, provided such applicant shall be issued a restricted certificate C or certificate D permitting the holder individually to either engage in the business of installing telecommunications systems, or engage in the occupation of installing telecommunications systems.

SECTION 6.  Section 5 of this act is hereby repealed.

SECTION 7.  Section 6 of this act shall take effect September 1, 2014.