SENATE, No. 641

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 5, 1996

By Senator CIESLA

An Act concerning continuing education requirements for plumbers and supplementing P.L.1968, c.362 (C.45:14C-1 et seq.).

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

    1. The State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers shall require each master plumber, as a condition for biennial license renewal pursuant to section 18 of P.L.1968, c.362 (C.45:14C-18), to complete any continuing education requirements imposed by the board pursuant to section 2 of this act.

    2. a. The board shall:

    (1) Establish standards for continuing plumbing education, including the subject matter and content of courses of study, the selection of instructors, and the number and type of continuing education credits required of a licensed master plumber as a condition for biennial license renewal, except that the number of credits required shall not exceed five in any biennial license period.

    (2) Approve educational programs offering credit towards the continuing plumbing education requirements; and

    (3) Approve other equivalent educational programs, and shall establish procedures for the issuance of credit upon satisfactory proof of the completion of these programs.

    b. In the case of education courses and programs, each hour of instruction shall be equivalent to one credit.

    3. The board may, in its discretion, waive requirements for continuing plumbing education on an individual basis for reasons of hardship such as illness or disability, retirement of the license or other good cause.

    4. The board shall not require completion of continuing plumbing education credits for an initial renewal of license.

    5. In the event a master plumber completes a number of continuing education credit hours in excess of the number required by the board pursuant to section 2 of this act, the board may allow that those credits be carried over to satisfy the master plumber's continuing education requirement for the next biennial licensure period, but shall not be applicable thereafter.

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

STATEMENT

    This bill provides that the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers shall establish standards for continuing plumbing education, including subject matter and courses of study and selection of instructors; approve educational programs offering credit towards the continuing plumbing education requirements; approve other equivalent educational programs; and establish the number and type of continuing education credits required for the biennial renewal of licenses of master plumbers in this State, but is prohibited from requiring more than five credits in any biennial period.

    Waivers of these continuing education requirements may be granted by the board on an individual basis due to hardship or other good cause. In addition, the board shall not require completion of continuing plumbing education credits for an initial renewal of license.

    The board may allow a master plumber to carry over excess continuing education credits beyond what is required for a particular biennial licensure period to satisfy the continuing education requirements for the next biennial license period, but these credits shall not be applicable thereafter.

Establishes continuing education requirements for master plumbers.