SB 1498 - This act establishes the Missouri Statewide Mechanical Contractor Licensing Act. Under this act, the Division of Professional Registration, within the Department of Commerce and Insurance, shall regulate the statewide mechanical contractor license, the statewide mechanical journeyman license, and the statewide mechanical apprentice license for mechanical work. The provisions of this act shall not apply to mechanical work performed in Greene, Newton, and Jasper counties.

This act establishes the Missouri Mechanical Contractor Licensing Fund in the state treasury, which shall be expended for the administration of this act.

A statewide license shall not be required to perform mechanical work in a political subdivision, but shall be accepted in lieu of an equivalent local license if a political subdivision requires a local license for mechanical work. Any person operating as a mechanical contractor in a political subdivision that does not require a local license shall not be required to possess a statewide license to operate as a mechanical contractor in such political subdivision.

If a political subdivision does not recognize a statewide license in lieu of a local license, a statewide mechanical contractor license holder may file a complaint with the Division, which may investigate such complaint. If the Division finds that the political subdivision failed to recognize a statewide mechanical contractor license, the Division shall notify the political subdivision of such violation and grant the political subdivision thirty days to comply. If after thirty days the political subdivision does not comply, the Division shall notify the Director of the Department of Revenue, who shall withhold any moneys the political subdivision would otherwise be entitled to from local sales tax until the political subdivision is in compliance.

Applicants for the statewide licenses shall meet certain training, education, and experience criteria set forth in the act equal to those of the mechanical code of St. Louis County as of April 18, 2023.

A corporation, firm, institution, organization, or company seeking to engage in mechanical work shall have a least one statewide mechanical contractor licensee in its employ if the political subdivision requires a license. For the purposes of performing residential work, a statewide mechanical contractor or statewide mechanical journeyman, or the equivalent local licensee, shall perform, direct, inspect, or supervise the work. For all other mechanical work, at least one statewide mechanical journeyman shall be on site for every statewide mechanical apprentice performing the work, or the equivalent local licensee.

The Division may refuse to issue any license, and may cause a complaint to be filed with the Administrative Hearing Commission against any holder of a license for causes set forth in the act. Upon a finding by the Administrative Hearing Commission that grounds for disciplinary action are met, the Division may censure or place such a person on probation for a period not to exceed five years, or may suspend, for a period not to exceed three years, or revoke any license. Upon a judicial or administrative finding of a violation of this act, the Division may assess fines up to $5,000.

Any person who knowingly violates the provisions of this act is guilty of a Class B misdemeanor.

This act is identical to SB 1116 (2024), is substantially similar to SS/SB 80 (2023), and is similar to HB 1083 (2023), SCS/SB 867 (2022), HB 2050 (2022), SS/SB 11 (2021), HB 500 (2021), SCS/SB 559 (2020), provisions in HCS/SS/SCS/SBs 673 & 560 (2020), HCS/HB 1891 (2020), HCS/HB 326 (2019), SB 376 (2019), in SCS/HB 705 (2019), and HB 2673 (2018).

KATIE O'BRIEN