VOLUME 47, ISSUE11
June 1, 2015 Rule Proposals
Law and Public Safety
Division of Consumer Affairs State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers
Proposed Amendment: N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.2
Experience Requirements
Authorized By: New Jersey Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers, Rosemarie Baccile, Acting Executive Director.
Authority: N.J.S.A. 45:14C-7.
Calendar Reference: See Summary below for explanation of exception to calendar requirement.
Proposal Number: PRN 2015-057.
[page=1240] Submit written comments by July 31, 2015, to:
Rosemary Baccile, Acting Executive Director
State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers
PO Box 45008
124 Halsey Street
Newark, NJ 07101
The agency proposal follows:
Summary
N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.2 establishes application requirements for licensure as a master plumber. The rule requires applicants to complete one year of practical hands-on experience as a journeyman plumber. The State Board of Examiners of Master Plumbers (Board) is concerned that some of the individuals completing this one year of experience are not completing enough hours of experience or the work necessary to ensure they have a firm understanding of the practice of plumbing. In order to ensure that applicants are obtaining the experience they need in order to provide plumbing services in a safe and effective manner, the Board proposes to amend the definition of "practical hands-on experience" to state that work performed as part of this experience must be performed according to the plumbing subcode and be inspected by a licensed plumbing inspector. This is consistent with the definition of "journeyman plumber" in N.J.S.A. 45:14C-2, which states that a journeyman plumber "installs, alters, repairs and renovates plumbing in accordance with standards, rules and regulations established by the board..." It is possible that plumbing work performed for a public entity would not meet plumbing subcode requirements or be inspected by a licensed plumbing inspector. This requirement will be imposed one year from the effective date of the change, so as to not disadvantage those who are currently completing their hands-on experience. The Board also proposes to amend N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.2 to clarify that the one year of practical hands-on experience must consist of at least 1,200 hours, must take place in New Jersey, and must be completed after an applicant's apprenticeship or bachelor's degree program.
The Board has determined that the comment period for this notice of proposal will be 60 days; therefore, pursuant to N.J.A.C. 1:30-3.3(a)5, this notice is excepted from the rulemaking calendar requirement.
Social Impact
The proposed amendments to N.J.A.C. 13:32-2.2 will benefit individuals who receive plumbing services. The proposed amendments will ensure that applicants for licensure complete, and are therefore familiar with, plumbing work during the year of experience that is relevant to the services they will provide once they are licensed.
Economic Impact
As it is possible that plumbing work performed by a journeyman plumber for a public entity would not meet plumbing subcodes or be inspected by a licensed plumbing inspector, under the proposed amendments, such work would not qualify a journeyman plumber for licensure. Such a journeyman plumber would incur the costs of completing a year of practical hands-on experience for an entity that is required to meet plumbing subcodes and plumbing inspection requirements.
Federal Standards Statement
A Federal standards analysis is not required because there are no Federal laws or standards applicable to the proposed amendments.
Jobs Impact
The Board believes that the proposed amendments will not increase or decrease the number of jobs in New Jersey.
Agriculture Industry Impact
The Board does not believe that the proposed amendments will have any impact on the agriculture industry of this State.
Regulatory Flexibility Statement
As the proposed amendments apply to applicants for licenses, who are not considered small businesses, a regulatory flexibility analysis is not necessary.
Housing Affordability Impact Analysis
The proposed amendments will have an insignificant impact on affordable housing in New Jersey and there is an extreme unlikelihood that the rule would evoke a change in the average costs associated with housing because the proposed amendments concern experience requirements for applicants for licensure as a plumber.
Smart Growth Development Impact Analysis
The proposed amendments will have an insignificant impact on smart growth and there is an extreme unlikelihood that the rule would evoke a change in housing production in Planning Areas 1 or 2, or within designated centers, under the State Development and Redevelopment Plan in New Jersey because the proposed amendments concern experience requirements for applicants for licensure as a plumber.
Full text of the proposal follows (additions indicated in boldface
thus):
SUBCHAPTER 2. APPLICATION, EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS, EXAMINATION
13:32-2.2 Experience requirements
(a) For purposes of this section, "practical hands-on experience" means experience in the installation, maintenance, extension, alteration, repair, and removal of piping, plumbing fixtures, plumbing appliances, and plumbing apparatus
that, commencing (one year from the effective date of this amendment), is performed pursuant to the plumbing subcode, N.J.A.C. 5:23-3.15, and is inspected by a licensed New Jersey plumbing inspector. Practical hands-on experience does not include time spent in performing managerial tasks, such as supervising, engineering, estimating, or time spent performing tasks, which do not constitute the practice of plumbing as defined in N.J.A.C. 13:32-1.3.
(b) Applicants for examination for a license as a master plumber shall present proof to the Board that he or she:
1. Has completed a four-year apprenticeship program approved by the United States Department of Labor and has completed, after the end of the apprenticeship, one year of practical hands-on experience as a journeyman plumber
in New Jersey, consisting of at least 1,200 hours of practical hands-on experience; or
2. Has been awarded a bachelor's degree in mechanical, plumbing, or sanitary engineering from a college or university accredited by a regional accreditation agency recognized by the Council on Post-Secondary Accreditation or the United States Department of Education, and has completed, after completion of the bachelor's degree, one year of practical hands-on experience as a journeyman plumber
in New Jersey, consisting of at least 1,200 hours of practical hands-on experience |
