CHAPTER 21

An Act concerning qualified journeymen electricians, amending P.L.1972, c.108 and amending and supplementing P.L.1962, c.162.

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1.    Section 1 of P.L.1972, c.108 (C.45:1-7) is amended to read as follows:

C.45:1-7 Issuance of certain licenses or certificates of registration.

    1.    Notwithstanding any of the provisions of Title 45 of the Revised Statutes or of any other law to the contrary, all professional or occupational licenses or certificates of registration, except such licenses or certificates issued to real estate brokers or salesmen pursuant to chapter 15 of Title 45, which prior to the effective date of this act were issued for periods not exceeding one year and were annually renewable, shall, on and after the effective date of this act, be issued for periods of two years and be biennially renewable, except that licenses and business permits issued to electrical contractors and certificates of registration issued to qualified journeymen electricians pursuant to chapter 5A of Title 45 shall be issued for periods of three years and be triennially renewable; provided, however, the boards or commissions in charge of the issuance or renewal of such licenses or certificates may, in order to stagger the expiration dates thereof, provide that those first issued or renewed after the effective date of this act, shall expire and become void on a date fixed by the respective boards or commissions, not sooner than six months nor later than 29 months, after the date of issue.

    The fees for the respective licenses and certificates of registration issued pursuant to this act for periods of less or greater than one year shall be in amounts proportionately less or greater than the fees established by law.

    2.    Section 2 of P.L.1962, c.162 (C.45:5A-2) is amended to read as follows:

C.45:5A-2 Definitions.

    2.    For the purpose of this act, unless otherwise indicated by the context:

    (a)  "Act" means this act, P.L.1962, c.162 (C.45:5A-1 et seq.) and the rules and regulations adopted under it;

    (b)  "Board" means the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors created by section 3 of this act;

    (c)  "Department" means the Department of Law and Public Safety;

    (d)  "Electrical contractor" means a person who engages in the business of contracting to install, erect, repair or alter electrical equipment for the generation, transmission or utilization of electrical energy;

    (e)  "Person" means a person, firm, corporation or other legal entity;

    (f)   "Alarm business" means the installation, servicing or maintenance of burglar alarm, fire alarm or electronic security systems, or the monitoring or responding to alarm signals when provided in conjunction therewith. "Installation," as used in this definition, includes the survey of a premises, the design and preparation of the specifications for the equipment or system to be installed pursuant to a survey, the installation of the equipment or system, or the demonstration of the equipment or system after the installation is completed, but does not include any survey, design or preparation of specifications for equipment or for a system that is prepared by an engineer licensed pursuant to the provisions of P.L.1938, c.342 (C.45:8-27 et seq.), or an architect licensed pursuant to the provisions of chapter 3 of Title 45 of the Revised Statutes, if the survey, design, or preparation of specifications is part of a design for construction of a new building or premises or a renovation of an existing building or premises, which renovation includes components other than the installation of a burglar alarm, fire alarm or electronic security system, and further does not include the design or preparation of specifications for the equipment or system to be installed that are within the practice of professional engineering as defined in subsection (b) of section 2 of P.L.1938, c.342 (C.45:8-28);

    (g)  "Burglar alarm" means a security system comprised of an interconnected series of alarm devices or components, including systems interconnected with radio frequency signals, which emits an audible, visual or electronic signal indicating an alarm condition and providing a warning of intrusion, which is designed to discourage crime;

    (h)  "Business firm" means a partnership, corporation or other business entity engaged in the alarm business or locksmithing services;

    (i)   "Committee" means the Fire Alarm, Burglar Alarm, and Locksmith Advisory Committee created by section 3 of P.L.1997, c.305 (C.45:5A-23);

    (j)   "Electronic security system" means a security system comprised of an interconnected series of devices or components, including systems with audio and video signals or other electronic systems, which emits or transmits an audible, visual or electronic signal warning of intrusion and provides notification of authorized entry or exit, which is designed to discourage crime;

    (k)  "Fire alarm" means a security system comprised of an interconnected series of alarm devices or components, including systems interconnected with radio frequency signals, which emits an audible, visual or electronic signal indicating an alarm condition and which provides a warning of the presence of smoke or fire. "Fire alarm" does not mean a system whose primary purpose is telecommunications with energy control, the monitoring of the interior environment being an incidental feature thereto;

    (l)   "Licensed locksmith" means a person who is licensed pursuant to the provisions of section 7 of P.L.1997, c.305 (C.45:5A-27);

    (m) "Licensee" means a person licensed to engage in the alarm business or provide locksmithing services pursuant to the provisions of section 7 of P.L.1997, c.305 (C.45:5A-27);

    (n)  "Locksmithing services" means the modification, recombination, repair or installation of mechanical locking devices and electronic security systems for any type of compensation and includes the following: repairing, rebuilding, recoding, servicing, adjusting, installing, manipulating or bypassing of a mechanical or electronic locking device, for controlled access or egress to premises, vehicles, safes, vaults, safe doors, lock boxes, automatic teller machines or other devices for safeguarding areas where access is meant to be limited; operating a mechanical or electronic locking device, safe or vault by means other than those intended by the manufacturer of such locking devices, safes or vaults; or consulting and providing technical advice regarding selection of hardware and locking systems of mechanical or electronic locking devices and electronic security systems; except that "locksmithing services" shall not include the installation of a prefabricated lock set and door knob into a door of a residence;

    (o)  "Qualified journeyman electrician" means a person registered pursuant to P.L.1962, c.162 (C.45:5A-1 et seq.) or P.L.2001, c.21 (C.45:5A-11.1 et al.), as a qualified journeyman electrician by the board.

C.45:5A-11.1 Registration as qualified journeyman electrician.

    3.    The board shall register as a qualified journeyman electrician an applicant who:

    a.    Holds a current valid license to practice electrical contracting by the board; or

    b.    Has acquired sufficient practical experience working with tools in the installation, alteration or repair of wiring for electric light, heat or power, as determined by the board, and has successfully completed an appropriate number of classroom hours of related instruction, as determined by the board, which requirement of practical experience shall not include time spent in supervising, engineering, estimating and other managerial tasks; or

    c.    Has demonstrated to the satisfaction of the board that he has met the requirements of subsection b. of this section through alternative means.

C.45:5A-11.2 Application for registration as qualified journeyman electrician.

    4.    On and after the effective date of P.L.2001, c.21 (C.45:5A-11.1 et al.), any person desiring to register as a qualified journeyman electrician shall make application to the board to be so registered and shall pay all the fees required in connection therewith, which fees shall be established, prescribed or changed by the board to the extent necessary to defray all proper expenses incurred by the board to administer the provisions of this act. Fees shall not be fixed at a level, however, that will raise amounts in excess of the amount estimated to be so required.

C.45:5A-11.3 Register of applications.

    5.    The board shall keep a register of all applications by individuals registering as qualified journeymen electricians, which register shall include the following information: name, address, telephone number, the age of the applicant; the date of the application; the place of business of the applicant; whether the applicant was accepted or rejected, and in the case of a rejection, the reasons for that action; the registration number, if issued; the date of action of the board; and any other information the board deems necessary.

C.45:5A-11.4 Continuing education required for license renewal.

    6. a. The board shall require each qualified journeyman electrician, other than a qualified journeyman electrician licensed to practice electrical contracting issued by the board, as a condition for triennial license renewal pursuant to section 1 of P.L.1972, c.108 (C.45:1-7), to complete a 10-hour course of study relating to the most recent edition of the National Electrical Code.

    b.    The board shall approve all programs of education for the 10-hour course of study established pursuant to subsection a. of this section and the instructors for those courses.

C.45:5A-11.5 Waiver of continuing education requirements.

    7.    The board may, in its discretion, waive requirements for continuing education under this act on an individual basis for reasons of hardship such as illness or disability, retirement of the certificate of registration or other good cause.

C.45:5A-11.6 Renewal cycle for registration.

    8.    Notwithstanding any other law, rule or regulation to the contrary, the renewal cycle for registration as a qualified journeyman electrician shall be the same as that for licensed electrical contractors.

    9.    A qualified journeyman electrician identification card issued by the board pursuant to N.J.A.C.13:31-1.9 before the effective date of P.L.2001, c.21 (C.45:5A-11.1 et al.) shall be valid for a period of one year following that date.

    10.  This act shall take effect on the 90th day following enactment, except that the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors may, pursuant to the "Administrative Procedure Act," P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et seq.), promulgate regulations necessary to effectuate the provisions of this act during the 90 days.

    Approved February 2, 2001.