HB-4364, As Passed House, April 29, 2015

SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 4364

      A bill to amend 2002 PA 733, entitled

"State plumbing act,"

by amending section 31 (MCL 338.3541), as amended by 2012 PA 311.

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 1        Sec. 31. (1) A license or apprentice registration issued under

 2  this act must be renewed not more than 60 days after the renewal

 3  date. It is the responsibility of a licensee or registrant to renew

 4  a license or registration. The department shall send a renewal

 5  application to the last known address of a licensee or registrant

 6  on file with the department. Every holder of a license or

 7  registration issued under this act shall promptly notify the

 8  department of a change in his or her business or residence address.

 9  The failure of a licensee or registrant to notify the department of

 1  a change of address does not extend the expiration date of a

 2  license or registration. The department may issue licenses for up

 3  to 3 years in duration.

 4        (2) The annual fees for initial licensure, apprentice plumber

 5  registration, or renewal of a license and registration issued under

 6  this act are as follows:

 7                         (a)        If paid after September 30, 2015:2019:

 8                         (i)         Journey plumber...................  $  20.00.

 9                         (ii)        Apprentice plumber................  $   5.00.

10                         (b)        If paid on or before September 30, 2015:2019:

11                         (i)         Journey plumber...................  $  40.00.

12                         (ii)        Apprentice plumber................  $  15.00.

13        (3) A license or apprentice registration that is not renewed

14  within 60 days of expiration may be reinstated only by applying to

15  the board for reinstatement and the payment of the annual renewal

16  fee and the following reinstatement fee:

17                         (a)        If paid after September 30, 2015:2019:

18                         (i)         Journey plumber...................  $  25.00.

19                         (ii)        Apprentice plumber................  $  10.00.

20                         (b)        If paid on or before September 30, 2015:2019:

21                         (i)         Journey plumber...................  $  50.00.

22                         (ii)        Apprentice plumber................  $  20.00.

23        (4) An individual who is requesting renewal of a license under

24  subsection (3) within 3 years after the license is expired is not

25  subject to reexamination for the license but is required to pay the

 1  reinstatement fee and the annual renewal fee for each year the

 2  license was not renewed. An individual who fails to renew a license

 3  for more than 3 consecutive years is required to meet the

 4  experience and other requirements and take an examination for the

 5  class of license requested.

 6        (5) Examination fees under this act are as follows:

 7                         (a)        If paid after September 30, 2015:2019:

 8                         (i)         Plumbing contractor...............  $  50.00.

 9                         (ii)        Master plumber....................  $  50.00.

10                         (iii)        Journey plumber...................  $  50.00.

11                         (b)        If paid on or before September 30, 2015:2019:

12                         (i)         Plumbing contractor...............  $ 100.00.

13                         (ii)        Master plumber....................  $ 100.00.

14                         (iii)        Journey plumber...................  $ 100.00.

15        (6) The department shall issue an initial master plumber or

16  plumbing contractor license for a period of up to 3 years. A master

17  plumber or plumbing contractor license is renewable for periods of

18  3 years. If an individual is applying for initial or reinstatement

19  license at a time other than between April 30 and June 30 of the

20  year in which the department issues renewal licenses, the

21  department shall compute and charge the license fee on a yearly

22  prorated basis beginning the year of application until the last

23  year of the 3-year license period.

24        (7) The initial and renewal fee for a master plumber or

25  plumbing contractor license issued under this act are as follows:

26                         (a)        If paid after September 30, 2015:2019:

 1                         (i)         Plumbing contractor...............  $ 200.00.

 2                         (ii)        Master plumber....................  $ 200.00.

 3                         (b)        If paid on or before September 30, 2015:2019:

 4                         (i)         Plumbing contractor...............  $ 300.00.

 5                         (ii)        Master plumber....................  $ 300.00.

 6        (8) A plumbing contractor or master plumber license that is

 7  not renewed within 60 days of expiration may be reinstated only by

 8  applying to the board and paying the renewal fee and, if paid after

 9  September 30, 2015, 2019, an $85.00 reinstatement fee, and $100.00

10  if paid on or before September 30, 2015.2019.

11        (9) The department shall issue an initial or renewal license

12  for a master plumber or a plumbing contractor under this act not

13  later than 90 days after the applicant files a completed

14  application. The date of filing of the application is considered

15  the date the application is received by any agency or department of

16  this state. If the application is considered incomplete by the

17  department, the department shall notify the applicant in writing,

18  or make the information electronically available to the applicant,

19  within 30 days after the date of filing of the incomplete

20  application, describing the deficiency and requesting the

21  additional information. The 90-day period is tolled from the date

22  of notification by the department of a deficiency until the date

23  the requested information is received by the department. The

24  determination of the completeness of an application does not

25  operate as an approval of the application for the license and does

26  not confer eligibility of an applicant determined otherwise

27  ineligible for issuance of a license.

 1        (10) If the department fails to issue or deny a license within

 2  the time required under this section, the department shall return

 3  the license fee and shall reduce the license fee for the

 4  applicant's next renewal application, if any, by 15%. The failure

 5  to issue a license within the time required under this section does

 6  not allow the department to otherwise delay the processing of the

 7  application, and the department shall place that application, when

 8  completed, in sequence with other completed applications received

 9  at that same time. The department shall not discriminate against an

10  applicant in the processing of the application based on the fact

11  that the license fee was refunded or discounted under this

12  subsection.

13        (11) The director shall submit a report by December 1 of each

14  year to the standing committees and appropriations subcommittees of

15  the senate and house of representatives concerned with occupational

16  issues. The director shall include all of the following information

17  in the report concerning the preceding fiscal year:

18        (a) The number of initial and renewal applications the

19  department received and completed within the 90-day time period

20  described in subsection (9).

21        (b) The number of applications denied by the department.

22        (c) The number of applicants who were not issued a license

23  within the 90-day time period and the amount of money returned to

24  licensees under subsection (10).

25        (12) The department shall waive any fee otherwise required

26  under this section or section 35 if the person responsible for

27  paying the fee meets any of the following:

 1        (a) If the person is an individual, he or she is, and provides

 2  proof satisfactory to the department that he or she is, an

 3  honorably discharged veteran of the armed forces of the United

 4  States.

 5        (b) If the person is a nonprofit corporation organized on a

 6  membership or directorship basis, a majority of the members or

 7  directors, as applicable, are, and the person provides proof

 8  satisfactory to the department that a majority of the members or

 9  directors are, honorably discharged veterans of the armed forces of

10  the United States.

11        (c) If the person is not an individual or a nonprofit

12  corporation described in subdivision (b), a majority of the shares

13  or other ownership interests of the person are, and the person

14  provides proof satisfactory to the department that those interests

15  are, held by 1 or more honorably discharged veterans of the armed

16  forces of the United States.

17        (13) As used in this section, "completed application" means an

18  application that is complete on its face and submitted with any

19  applicable licensing fees and any other information, records,

20  approval, security, or similar item required by law or rule from a

21  local unit of government, a federal agency, or a private entity but

22  not from another department or agency of this state.

23        Enacting section 1. This amendatory act takes effect October

24  1, 2015.