Bill Text: NJ S3331 | 2022-2023 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Exempts licensed master plumbers from certain electrical contractor business permit requirements.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2022-11-14 - Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Commerce Committee [S3331 Detail]
Download: New_Jersey-2022-S3331-Introduced.html
Sponsored by:
Senator JOSEPH P. CRYAN
District 20 (Union)
SYNOPSIS
Exempts licensed master plumbers from certain electrical contractor business permit requirements.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
As introduced.
An Act concerning the exemption of licensed master plumbers from certain electrical contractor business permit requirements and amending P.L.1962 c.162.
Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:
1. Section 18 of P.L.1962, c.162 (C.45:5A-18) is amended to read as follows:
18. Electrical work or construction which is performed on the following facilities or which is by or for the following agencies shall not be included within the business of electrical contracting so as to require the securing of a business permit under this act:
(a) Minor repair work such as the replacement of lamps and fuses.
(b) The connection of portable electrical appliances to suitable permanently installed receptacles.
(c) The testing, servicing or repairing of electrical equipment or apparatus.
(d) Electrical work in mines, on ships, railway cars, elevators, escalators or automotive equipment.
(e) Municipal plants or any public utility as defined in R.S.48:2-13, organized for the purpose of constructing, maintaining and operating works for the generation, supplying, transmission and distribution of electricity for electric light, heat, or power.
(f) A public utility subject to regulation, supervision or control by a federal regulatory body, or a public utility operating under the authority granted by the State of New Jersey, and engaged in the furnishing of communication or signal service, or both, to a public utility, or to the public, as an integral part of a communication or signal system, and any agency associated or affiliated with any public utility and engaged in research and development in the communications field.
(g) A railway utility in the exercise of its functions as a utility and located in or on buildings or premises used exclusively by such an agency.
(h) Commercial radio and television transmission equipment.
(i) Construction by any branch of the federal government.
(j) Any work with a potential of less than 10 volts.
(k) Repair, manufacturing and maintenance work on premises occupied by a firm or corporation, and installation work on premises occupied by a firm or corporation and performed by a regular employee who is a Class A journeyman electrician licensed pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2001, c.21 (C.45:5A-11.1).
(l) Installation, repair or maintenance performed by regular employees of the State or of a municipality, county, or school district on the premises or property owned or occupied by the State, a municipality, county, or school district; provided that a regular employee of the State, municipality, county or school district performing this work is a Class A journeyman electrician licensed pursuant to section 3 of P.L.2001, c.21 (C.45:5A-11.1), or holds any civil service title with a job description which includes electrical work pursuant to the "Civil Service Act," N.J.S.11A:1-1 et seq., or regulations adopted pursuant thereto, or any employee of a State authority who has completed an apprenticeship training program approved by the United States Department of Labor, Bureau of Apprenticeship Training, that deals specifically with electrical work, and is of a minimum duration of three years.
Any regular employee of the State, or of a municipality, county or school district who has submitted his application to the board for licensure as a Class A journeyman electrician shall be permitted to continue to perform work pursuant to this subsection until such time as the board acts upon his application. Any applicant whose licensure application is not approved by the board shall no longer be permitted to perform electrical work pursuant to this subsection.
(m) The maintaining, installing or connecting of automatic oil, gas or coal burning equipment, gasoline or diesel oil dispensing equipment and the lighting in connection therewith to a supply of adequate size at the load side of the distribution board, or the replacement of an electric water heater with one of similar size and voltage not to exceed 240 volts or less with a disconnecting means at the load side of the distribution board or service disconnect located within sight of the equipment, or for the replacement of a service disconnect and whip serving a replacement air conditioning condensing unit not exceeding 240 volts or less with one of a similar size and voltage requirements.
(n) Work performed by a person on a dwelling that is occupied solely as a residence for himself or for a member or members of his immediate family.
(o) (Deleted by amendment, P.L.1997, c.305).
(p) Any work performed by a landscape irrigation contractor which has the potential of not more than 30 volts involving the installation, servicing, or maintenance of a landscape irrigation system as this term is defined by section 2 of this amendatory and supplementary act. Nothing in this act shall be deemed to exempt work covered by this subsection from inspection required by the "State Uniform Construction Code Act," P.L.1975, c.217 (C.52:27D-119 et seq.) or regulations adopted pursuant thereto.
(q) Any work performed by a person certified pursuant to sections 1 through 10 of P.L.2001, c.289 (C.52:27D-25n through C.52:27D-25w) that is not branch circuit wiring. For the purposes of this subsection, "branch circuit wiring" means the circuit conductors between the final overcurrent device protecting the circuit and one or more outlets. A certificate holder shall be deemed to have engaged in professional misconduct for the purposes of section 8 of P.L.1978, c.73 (C.45:1-21) for violating the provisions of this subsection.
(r) Any work performed by an alarm business, as that term is defined by section 2 of P.L.1985, c.289 (C.45:5A-18.1), licensed pursuant to P.L.1997, c.305 (C.45:5A-23 et seq.) that is not branch circuit wiring. For the purposes of this subsection, "branch circuit wiring" means the circuit conductors between the final overcurrent device protecting the circuit and one or more outlets. A licensee shall be deemed to have engaged in professional misconduct for the purposes of section 8 of P.L.1978, c.73 (C.45:1-21) for violating the provisions of this subsection.
The board may also exempt from the business permit provisions of this act such other electrical activities of like character which in the board's opinion warrant exclusion from the provisions of this act.
(cf: P.L.2021, c.479, s.10)
2. This act shall take effect on the first day of the fourth month next following the date of enactment, and shall apply to contracts initiated for services on or after the effective date of this act.
STATEMENT
This bill exempts licensed master plumbers in the State from certain business permit requirements under the law governing electrical contractors concerning certain electric water heaters and air conditioning units. Electric water heaters are among the most common types of water heaters in New Jersey and the United States, and are increasing in popularity due to their cost and energy efficiency. Electric air conditioning condensing units are also very popular appliances.
Licensed master plumbers in New Jersey possess the skills and training necessary to replace these appliances, but under current law these plumbers would need to hold a New Jersey master electrician's license to perform such work. By exempting licensed New Jersey master plumbers from needing a business permit from the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors, this bill frees those plumbers to perform additional tasks. This less burdensome requirement will provide costs savings to customers by increasing competition for plumbing services and plumbers by removing a costly and unnecessary regulatory requirement.
