SENATE, No. 1862

 

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

 

INTRODUCED MARCH 3, 1997

 

 

By Senators CARDINALE and CIESLA

 

 

An Act concerning apprentice and journeymen plumbers and amending and supplementing P.L.1968, c.362.

 

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

 

    1. Section 15 of P.L.1968, c.362 (C.45:14C-15) is amended to read as follows:

    15. Not less than 30 days and no more than 60 days prior to the date set for the examination for a master plumber's State license, every person, except as herein provided, desiring to apply for a State license, who shall meet the qualifications as set forth herein, shall deliver to the State board, personally or by certified mail, return receipt requested, postage prepaid, a certified check or money order payable to the Treasurer of the State of New Jersey in the required amount as set forth herein, together with such written application as shall be required by the State board, completed as therein described, and together with proof of qualifications as described hereunder.

    The qualifications which shall be met and satisfied shall be as follows:

    a. The person shall be 21 or more years of age and a citizen or legal resident of the United States; and

    b. (1) The person shall have been engaged or employed in the plumbing [industry] trade for a period of five years [next] preceding the date of his application for a State license. [Three or more] One of the five years shall have been spent while engaged or employed as a journeyman plumber. [In lieu of the above requirements a] Four years of the five years shall have been spent in a plumbing apprenticeship program accredited and approved by the United States Department of Labor, with proof of passage and successful completion of this program while actively engaged or employed as a plumbing apprentice. For a period of four years following the effective date of P.L. , c. (now before the Legislature as this bill), each year of employment in the plumbing trade or enrollment in a formal plumbing apprenticeship program completed prior to the effective date of this amendatory and supplementary act shall be accepted by the State board in lieu of one year's enrollment in a plumbing apprenticeship program accredited and approved by the United States Department of Labor, up to a maximum total credit of four years; or

    (2) The person shall have been awarded a bachelor's degree in mechanical, plumbing or sanitary engineering from an accredited college or university in the United States which the board finds acceptable and in addition shall have been engaged or employed in the practical work of installing plumbing systems for one year as an apprentice or journeyman plumber.

    Proof of compliance with such qualifications or those in lieu thereof shall be submitted to the State board in writing, sworn to by the applicant, and such written proof shall be accompanied by two recent photographs of the applicant.

(cf: P.L.1987, c.442, s.3)

 

    2. (New section) The State board shall keep a register of all applications by individuals registering as journeymen plumbers, and apprentice plumbers enrolled in a plumbing apprenticeship program accredited and approved by the United States Department of Labor, which register shall include the following information: (1) name, address, telephone number, age and social security number of the apprentice or journeyman plumber; (2) date and type of registration application; (3) name, address and telephone number of the plumbing contractor employing the apprentice or journeyman plumber; (4) whether the applicant was accepted or rejected, and in the case of a rejection, the reasons for that action; (5) the registration number, if issued; (6) the date of the action by the State board; and (7) any other information the State board deems necessary.

 

    3. (New section) On and after the effective date of P.L. , c. (now before the Legislature as this bill), any person desiring to register as an apprentice or journeyman plumber shall make application to the State 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 State board to the extent necessary to defray all proper expenses incurred by the State board to administer the provisions of this act. However, fees shall not be fixed at a level that will raise amounts in excess of the amount estimated to be so required.

 

    4. This act shall take effect on the 60th day after enactment.


STATEMENT

 

    This bill revises the qualifications that a person needs to meet and satisfy in order to apply for a master plumber's State license. In order to qualify, a person must be a citizen or a legal resident of the United States and have been engaged or employed in the plumbing trade for a period of five years. Four of those five years must be spent in a plumbing apprenticeship program accredited and approved by the United States Department of Labor and one of those years must be spent engaged or employed as a journeyman plumber. Currently, the law requires a person to have been engaged or employed in the plumbing industry for a period of five years and does not require a person to spend four years in a plumbing apprenticeship program accredited and approved by the United States Department of Labor or to be a citizen or legal resident of the United States.

    The bill also provides that for four years following the effective date of this bill, under certain circumstances, a person may qualify to apply for a license as a master plumber without having to participate in a plumbing apprenticeship program accredited and approved by the United States Department of Labor. Those circumstances apply if a person presents evidence satisfactory to the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers that the person had been employed in the plumbing trade or enrolled in a formal plumbing apprenticeship program on or before the effective date of this bill. Such employment or enrollment shall be credited up to a maximum total credit of four years.

    In addition, the bill stipulates that the State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers shall keep a register of all applications by individuals registering as journeymen plumbers and apprentice plumbers enrolled in a plumbing apprenticeship program accredited and approved by the United States Department of Labor.

 

 

 

Establishes requirements for apprentice and journeymen plumbers.