SP0523, LD 1405, item 1, An Act To Amend the Licensing Laws of the Maine Fuel Board

An Act To Amend the Licensing Laws of the Maine Fuel Board

Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:

Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §18101, sub-§§6, 7 and 10, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 344, Pt. C, §3 and affected by Pt. E, §2, are amended to read:

6. Equipment installations. "Equipment installations" means the installation, alteration or repair of oil, solid fuel, propane or natural gas burning equipment and chimneys, or pellet-fired central heating appliances, including accessory equipment as relating only to the safety of the installation. Associated electrical equipment must be wired in compliance with the rules of the Electricians' Examining Board established in Title 5, section 12004-A, subsection 13.

7. Natural gas. "Natural gas" means hydrocarbon fuel in a gaseous state with a composition of predominantly CH4 , delivered by pipeline to the property of the consumer.

10. Self-service dispensing station. "Self-service dispensing station" means a licensed facility where propane or natural gas is dispensed into permanently mounted fuel containers on vehicles and is operated by the general public at a dispensing station.

Sec. 2. 32 MRSA §18102, first ¶, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 344, Pt. C, §3 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:

A person who installs or services oil, solid fuel burning equipment, including pellet-fired central heating appliances, or oil, propane or natural gas burning equipment and a facility where propane or natural gas is dispensed must be licensed under this chapter, except as provided under section 18104.

Sec. 3. 32 MRSA §18123, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 344, Pt. C, §3 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is repealed.

Sec. 4. 32 MRSA §18132, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 344, Pt. C, §3 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:

§ 18132. Master oil burner technician or solid fuel technician

1. Scope of license. A The permitted activities for a person licensed as a master oil and burner technician or master solid fuel burning technician may install, clean, service, alter or repair oil and solid fuel burning equipment and must hold one or more of the following authorities: number one and number 2 oils up to 15 gallons per hour; number one and number 2 oils over 15 gallons per hour; number 4, number 5 and number 6 oils; number one to number 6 oils; and solid fuel are as follows.

A. A master oil burner technician may install, clean, service, alter or repair oil burning equipment and must hold one or more of the following authorities: number one and number 2 oils up to 15 gallons per hour; number one and number 2 oils over 15 gallons per hour; number 4, number 5 and number 6 oils; number one to number 6 oils; and pellet-fired central heating appliances.

B. A master solid fuel technician may install, clean, service, alter or repair solid fuel burning equipment.

2. Professional qualifications. Each applicant for a master oil and burner or solid fuel burning license must pass an examination approved by the board and meet the following qualifications:

A. The applicant must demonstrate 4 years of licensed practical experience as an apprentice oil and burner technician or solid fuel burning technician and or a journeyman oil and burner technician or solid fuel burning technician and evidence that the licensed practical experience for at least 2 of those 4 years was as a licensed journeyman oil and burner technician or solid fuel burning technician or other requirements the board may establish. Courses approved by the board that apply to a journeyman license cannot be applied toward the requirements for a master license ; and .

B. The applicant must pass an examination approved by the board.

An out-of-state applicant must present satisfactory evidence to the board of experience in installing, cleaning, servicing, altering and repairing oil and or solid fuel burning equipment.

Sec. 5. 32 MRSA §18133, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 344, Pt. C, §3 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:

§ 18133. Journeyman oil burner technician or solid fuel technician

1. Scope of license. A The permitted activities for a person licensed as a journeyman oil and burner technician or journeyman solid fuel burning technician may install, clean, service, alter or repair oil and solid fuel burning equipment and must hold one or more of the following authorities: number one and number 2 oils up to 15 gallons per hour; number one and number 2 oils over 15 gallons per hour; number 4, number 5 and number 6 oils; number one to number 6 oils; and solid fuel. A journeyman oil and solid fuel burning technician may install oil and solid fuel burning equipment under the indirect supervision of a master oil and solid fuel burning technician who has the same authority or higher and must at all times be under the indirect supervision of, or in the employ of, a master oil and solid fuel burning technician are as follows.

A. A journeyman oil burner technician, under the indirect supervision of, or in the employ of, a master oil burner technician may install, clean, service, alter or repair oil burning equipment and must hold one or more of the following authorities: number one and number 2 oils up to 15 gallons per hour; number one and number 2 oils over 15 gallons per hour; number 4, number 5 and number 6 oils; number one to number 6 oils; and pellet-fired central heating appliances. The supervising or employing master oil burner technician must hold at least the same authority as the journeyman oil burner technician.

B. A journeyman solid fuel technician, under the indirect supervision of, or in the employ of, a master solid fuel technician, may install, clean, service, alter or repair solid fuel burning equipment.

2. Professional qualifications. Each applicant for a journeyman oil and burner or solid fuel burning license must pass an examination approved by the board and must meet one of the following qualifications:

A. One year of licensed practical experience as an apprentice oil and burner technician or solid fuel burning technician;

B. Six months of licensed practical experience as an apprentice oil and burner technician or solid fuel burning technician and completion of an oil burner or solid fuel technician course at a community college, career and technical education center or career and technical education region or a comparable institute in the State or another state consisting, at a minimum, of 160 hours of study, of which at least 75 hours are made up of laboratory work on oil burner burning equipment and related systems; or

C. Successful completion of a minimum one-year accredited heating course at a community college in this State consisting at a minimum of 320 hours of study, of which at least 150 hours are made up of laboratory work on oil burner or solid fuel burning equipment and related systems.

An out-of-state applicant must present satisfactory evidence to the board of experience in installing, cleaning, servicing, altering and repairing oil and solid fuel burning equipment.

Sec. 6. 32 MRSA §18134, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 344, Pt. C, §3 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is repealed.

Sec. 7. 32 MRSA §18134, sub-§1-A is enacted to read:

1-A. Scope of license. The permitted activities for a person licensed as an apprentice oil burner technician or apprentice solid fuel technician are as follows.

A. An apprentice oil burner technician may:

(1) Assist in making oil installations and repairing and servicing of oil burning equipment under the direct supervision of a master or journeyman oil burner technician who holds the same or higher authority. License authorities include: number one and number 2 oils up to 15 gallons per hour; number one and number 2 oils over 15 gallons per hour; number 4, number 5 and number 6 oils; number one to number 6 oils; and pellet-fired central heating appliances;

(2) Bleed an oil burner without direct supervision. If the oil burner fails to operate after bleeding, the apprentice shall refer the problem to a journeyman oil burner technician or master oil burner technician; and

(3) Clean oil burning equipment without direct supervision if the apprentice has either successfully completed at least 160 hours of training approved by the board or completed at least one year of supervised oil burner work experience.

B. An apprentice solid fuel technician may:

(1) Assist in making solid fuel installations and repairing and servicing of solid fuel burning equipment under the direct supervision of a master or journeyman solid fuel technician; and

(2) Clean solid fuel burning equipment without direct supervision if the apprentice has either successfully completed at least 160 hours of training approved by the board or completed at least one year of supervised solid fuel work experience.

Sec. 8. 32 MRSA §18135, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 344, Pt. C, §3 and affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read:

2. Professional qualifications. Each Prior to July 1, 2016, an applicant for a propane and natural gas technician license must meet one of the following qualifications:

A. Successful completion of the certified employee training program of a national propane gas association; or

B. Successful completion of a board-approved propane or natural gas course at a Maine community college, career and technical education center or career and technical education region or a comparable institute of this State or another state and passage of an examination approved by the board.

An out-of-state applicant must present satisfactory evidence to the board of experience in installing, cleaning, servicing, altering and repairing propane and natural gas burning equipment.

Sec. 9. 32 MRSA §18135, sub-§2-A is enacted to read:

2-A. Professional qualifications beginning July 2016. On or after July 1, 2016, an applicant for a propane and natural gas technician license must pass a board-approved examination and must:

A. Provide evidence of one year of licensed practical experience as a propane and natural gas helper;

B. Provide evidence of 6 months of licensed practical experience as a propane and natural gas helper or as a licensee with an authority described under subsection 1 and completion of a board-approved propane and natural gas course at a Maine community college, career and technical education center or career and technical education region or a comparable institute in this State or another state; or

C. Provide evidence of 6 months of licensed practical experience as a propane and natural gas helper or as a licensee with an authority described under subsection 1 and completion of a national propane gas association's certified employee training program or other propane or natural gas program approved by the board.

Sec. 10. Revision of licenses. The Department of Professional and Financial Regulation shall review the licenses issued by the Maine Fuel Board pursuant to the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 32, sections 18132, 18133 and 18134 and submit legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 127th Legislature by January 15, 2016 that changes the name and scope of the licenses to reflect the changes made in this Act.

SUMMARY

This bill amends the provisions of law regarding the Maine Fuel Board by:

1. Clarifying that there is a separate license and scope of practice for a master oil burner technician, master solid fuel technician, journeyman oil burner technician, journeyman solid fuel technician, apprentice oil burner technician and apprentice solid fuel technician;

2. Specifying that the installation, cleaning, repairing and servicing of pellet-fired central heating appliances is included within the scope of practice of oil burner technicians if that person holds a pellet-fired central heating appliances authority;

3. Removing the authority of the Maine Fuel Board to authorize pilot projects relating to emerging fuel fired heating technology; and

4. Upgrading the technical training required to obtain a propane and natural gas technician license.

SP0523 LD 1405	Session - 127th Maine Legislature		LR 525 Item 1
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