TITLE 28

Labor and Labor Relations

CHAPTER 28-27

Mechanical Trades

SECTION 28-27-2



   § 28-27-2  Licensing – Mechanical

board examiners created – Senior chief investigator. –

(a) The division of professional regulation with the assistance of the board

shall promulgate rules and regulations for the examining and licensing of

masters, journeypersons, and apprentices of the mechanical trades.



   (b)(1) A state mechanical board is created in the department

of labor and training whose duty it shall be to advise the division in its area

of expertise in promulgating any policy that may be necessary to improve the

operations of the division, and to hold license revocation and violations

hearings as described in this chapter. The promulgation of policy shall be

subject to the approval of the division.



   (2) The board shall consist of eleven (11) qualified electors

of the state appointed by the governor as follows:



   (i) One member who shall be a master pipefitter at the time

of appointment, having at least ten (10) years in business as a master

pipefitter.



   (ii) One member who shall be a refrigeration/air conditioning

master at the time of appointment, having at least ten (10) years in business

as a refrigeration/air conditioning master.



   (iii) One member who has been employed as a pipefitter

journeyperson for ten (10) years.



   (iv) One member who has been employed as a refrigeration/air

conditioning journeyperson for ten (10) years.



   (v) One member who shall be a fire protection sprinkler

master at the time of appointment, having at least ten (10) years in business

as a fire protection sprinkler master.



   (vi) One member who has been employed as a journeyperson

sprinkler fitter for ten (10) years.



   (vii) One member shall be the state fire marshal or his or

her designee.



   (viii) Two (2) members to be appointed from a list submitted

by the Oil Heat Institute, Inc. and who have been doing business as masters for

at least ten (10) years.



   (ix) One member who shall be a sheet metal master at the time

of appointment, having at least ten (10) years in business as a sheet metal

master.



   (x) One member who has been employed as a journeyperson sheet

metal worker for ten (10) years.



   (3) Members shall be appointed to serve for three (3) years

and their successors shall be appointed for three (3) years.



   (4) On the expiration of the term of any master or

journeyperson member of the board, the governor shall appoint for a term of

three (3) years a master or journeyperson or member having the qualifications

required by this chapter to take the place of the master or journeyperson whose

term has expired.



   (5) Any vacancy which occurs for any cause shall be filled by

appointment by the governor for the remainder of the unexpired term.



   (6) The board shall have an advisory role in the preparation

and composition of the license examinations to be administered by the division.

Subsequent to the administration of the examinations, the board of examiners

shall review the examinations to evaluate their effectiveness.



   (7) A chairperson shall be elected every three (3) years from

the members; a majority will constitute a quorum of the full board. The senior

chief investigator for the division shall have both a master pipefitter I and

master refrigeration I license, with a minimum of five (5) years employment in

the state of Rhode Island as a journeyperson and five (5) years as a

contractor. He or she shall be appointed by the licensing board and the

position shall be in the classified service at not less than pay grade 335.



   (8) There shall be a chief investigator for the division who

shall have both a master pipefitter and master refrigeration license, with a

minimum of five (5) years employment in the State of Rhode Island as a

journeyperson and five (5) years as a contractor. He or she shall be appointed

by the director of labor and training, upon recommendation from the licensing

board, and this position shall be in the classified service.



History of Section.

(P.L. 1990, ch. 102, § 2; P.L. 1991, ch. 196, § 1; P.L. 1994, ch.

349, § 1; P.L. 1994, ch. 418, § 1; P.L. 1999, ch. 330, § 1; P.L.

1999, ch. 437, § 1; P.L. 2000, ch. 119, § 2; P.L. 2001, ch. 370,

§ 1; P.L. 2002, ch. 380, § 2.)