Government Affairs Update - Northeast Region

Connecticut

As usual, the Connecticut state legislature hit the ground running in 2007. NSCA is tracking more than 20 pieces of legislation already and has made six of those bills a priority. Almost all of the bills are focused on changes to prevailing wage determinations in the state and electronic waste. E-Waste issues are popping up across the country; however, Connecticut has been studying the issue for a few years. SB 22 and HB 5453 both look to establish recycling programs for electronic devices and leave the jurisdiction of this establishment with the State Department or Environmental Protection. Details of what would be covered in the programs or how the program would work are not being specified; therefore, NSCA has yet to take a formal position.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Senate to Review Telecommunications Licensing Bill 

End of Update

After months of negotiations and re-drafts, Massachusetts SB 204 passed out of the state’s Senate Telecommunication, Utilities and Energy Committee. Committee Chairman, Senator Morrissey, is the author of the bill. The current bill is a compromise between various groups that are either current license holders or those that would be required to hold licenses under the new bill. SB 204 will now head to the Senate Ethics and Rules Committee before a Senate floor vote can occur.

NSCA members should note the following important changes to license requirements:

• Anyone working in the "telecommunication systems" industry would be required to hold a Telecommunication Technician (TT) or Telecommunications Contractor (TC) license.
• A telecommunication system is defined as any system, including fire warning or security, involved in the sending or receiving at a distance of voice, sound, data or video transmissions. This definition also includes the placing, installing and altering of any cables or telecommunications equipment on poles or in manholes, vaults, buildings or central switching offices.
• Those currently holding a C or D license would become a TC or TT contractor under this legislation.

Other changes to the legislation include:

• The Board of Electrical and Telecommunication Examiners will establish criteria for training and testing to obtain TC and TT licenses.
• Both the Electrical and Telecommunications industries will have 4 representatives on the Board of Electrical and Telecommunication Examiners. Additionally, there is a representative from the public and the International Municipal Signal Association.
• Creation of a telecommunication systems policy advisory committee to establish criteria for state licensure and requirements or regulations governing the performance of state-licensed TCs and TTs. This committee will also review and consider existing education courses for curriculum requirements established by the Board.

Background Information:

NSCA board member Catherine Shanahan offered improvements to a series of Massachusetts bills regarding licensing requirements on June 5, 2007. Her testimony focused on the global perspective of training requirements in a rapidly changing industry.

Different licensing bills and requirements have been offered in Massachusetts for more than eight years. But, creating a widely accepted licensing model has been difficult due to the ever-changing landscape of integrated systems and low-voltage technologies. NSCA is working closely with the Massachusetts Systems Contractors Association (MSCA) to provide legislators with amended text for the current bills (SB 204 and HB 279) that have the most opportunity to pass during this legislative session. 

NSCA and MSCA are requesting the following amendments:

• The establishment of a chapter 141A telecommunications contractors and technicians' license for power-limited systems — including voice, sound, data, telephony and video — must also include "systems" defined in chapter 141. This change would create a telecommunications or an electrical licensure requirement only, rather than three separate levels of licensure. The new license would allow a technician to do a variety of work in integrated network systems.
• SB 204 does not alter chapter 143 wiring permit requirements under section 3L.  Requirements for pulling permits on power-limited systems must be uniformly applied to all licensees, who would receive a life safety endorsement after proving competence and compliance with chapter 141A safety requirements. 
• The new board would be named the "board of electrical and telecommunications systems examiners" and equal representation of both sets of industry professionals is a must. The number of telecommunications systems gubernatorial appointments would mirror the number of electricians currently sitting on the board at the time of appointment. 
• Acceptance of the already approved Massachusetts Electrical Board 300-hour, two-year, basic entry-level curriculum program. The program covers all chapter 141A systems outlined above, with 4,000 hours of on-the-job training required for applicants for systems technician D licenses. This is the core basic curriculum that maintains competency for the systems industry.
• The statute should clearly state that the chapter 141A contractor and technician license allows licensees to do all chapter 141A work identified in the chapter without further education, training, testing or board approval, notwithstanding the life safety endorsement distinctions outlined above.

NSCA members in Massachusetts are contacting their local representatives asking for further support on the amended text. NSCA will be monitoring the legislation and progress throughout the coming months. 

New York

Those who install or maintain fire alarm systems in New York without a license will face higher penalty fees. On August 1, Governor Pataki signed SB 2693, which adds sections 66-ss and 69-vv to the general business law. The bill gives the New York Secretary of State the authority to fine, reprimand or issue an order of cessation against anyone engaging in the business of installing or maintaining security or fire alarm systems without the required state license. It also provides appropriate due process provisions, similar to the existing provisions, for those charged with violating the licensing law.

Rhode Island

• SB 2555 allows students who have completed a vocational school program recognized by the board of regents to receive a credit of 144 hours of classroom and work experience or the equivalent of one year of apprenticeship instruction, whichever is greater. In most cases, apprenticeship programs have a two- to four-year requirement depending on the type of license in the specific trade or vocation.
• HB 7931 allows the board of regents to authorize apprenticeship training in vocational schools. This authorization is subject to the approval of the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training State Apprenticeship Council.