A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT amending certain laws relating to licensure requirements for plumbing and heating contractors.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 87‑21(b)(6) reads as rewritten:
"(b)	Classes of Licenses; Eligibility and Examination of Applicant; Necessity for License. –
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(6)	Examinations shall be given at least twice each year, and additional examinations may be given as the Board deems wise and necessary. The examination shall be conducted in two parts to include a business and law portion and a technical portion. Requests for examination applications and information shall be made available online without charge and supplied at no cost to the potential examinee. The Board may offer written examinations or administer examinations by computer within 30 days after approving an application. Applicants shall be permitted to obtain the test score from each part of computerized examinations immediately upon completion of the examination. Upon passing the examination and paying the annual license fee, the applicant shall be issued a license. A person who fails to pass any examination shall not be reexamined until after 90 days from the date the person was last examined. An applicant who fails to pass any examination may take the failed portion within six months of the date approved to take the examination without retaking the portion passed. The Board may require applicants who fail any part of the examination three times to receive additional education before the applicant is allowed to retake the examination or wait one year before retaking any portion of the examination.
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SECTION 2.  G.S. 87‑22 reads as rewritten:
"§ 87‑22.  License fee; expiration and renewal; reinstatement.
All persons, firms, or corporations engaged in the business of either plumbing or heating contracting, or both, shall pay an annual license fee not to exceed one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00). The annual fee for a piping or restricted classification license shall not exceed that for a plumbing or heating license. All persons, firms, or corporations engaged in the business of fire sprinkler contracting shall pay an initial application fee not to exceed seventy‑five dollars ($75.00) and an annual license fee not to exceed three hundred dollars ($300.00). In the event the Board refuses to license an applicant, the license fee deposited shall be returned by the Board to the applicant. All licenses shall expire on the last day of December in each year following their issuance or renewal. Persons who obtain a license by passing an examination on or after October 1 of any year may receive a license for the remainder of the year by paying one‑half of the usual license fee for that classification of license. It shall be the duty of the secretary and treasurer to send by United States mail or e‑mail to every licensee registered with the Board, notice to the licensee's last known address reflected on the records of the Board of the amount of fee required for renewal of license, the notice to be mailed at least one month in advance of the expiration of the license. The Board may require payment of all unpaid annual fees before reissuing a license. In the event of failure on the part of any person, firm or corporation to renew the license certificate annually and pay the required fee during the month of January in each year, the Board shall increase the license fee by twenty‑five dollars ($25.00) to cover any additional expense associated with late renewal. The Board shall require reexamination upon failure of a licensee to renew license within three years after expiration. The Board may adopt regulations requiring attendance at programs of continuing education as a condition of license renewal. A licensee employed full time as a local government plumbing, heating, or mechanical inspector and holding qualifications from the Code Officials Qualifications Board may renew the license at a fee not to exceed twenty‑five dollars ($25.00)."
SECTION 3.  G.S. 87‑22.1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 87‑22.1.  Examination fees; funds disbursed upon warrant of chairman and secretary‑treasurer.
The Board shall charge a nonrefundable application and examination fee not to exceed one hundred fifty dollars ($150.00) for each examination or any part of an examination, and the funds collected shall be disbursed upon warrant of the chairman and secretary‑treasurer, to partially defray general expenses of the Board. The application and examination fee shall be retained by the Board whether or not the applicant is granted a license. Until changed by the Board pursuant to rules adopted by the Board, the fee for each examination or any part taken on a particular day shall be one hundred dollars ($100.00)."
SECTION 4.  This act becomes effective January 1, 2006.