HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2298        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1992

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. 2298        FILED ON: 1/19/2017

HOUSE  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  No. 1992

The Commonwealth of Massachusetts

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In the One Hundred and Ninetieth General Court
(2017-2018)

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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 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.

“Residential Construction”, projects involving the construction, alteration, or repair of single family houses or apartment buildings of no more than four floors in height.

            “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 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. The provisions of this section shall not apply to the installation of telecommunications systems in residential construction.