12-1509.   Rules and regulations relating to licensureand examination;certificate of competency; uniform fee required; where licenses valid;continuing education; field experience.(a) Any county or city requiring the licensure of plumberspracticing within the county or city may conduct examinations designated byK.S.A. 12-1508, and amendments thereto, for thepurpose of determining the competencyof applicants forsuch licensure and shall not be allowed to ask further questions notdesignated on such examination. The board of county commissioners of suchcounty or thegoverning body of such city shall adopt rules and regulations: (1)Governing the conduct and grading of such examinations; (2) prescribing aminimum score of 75% for passage of examinations;(3) fixing a uniform fee tobe charged all applicants taking each such examination; and (4) requiringall persons receiving such license annually to obtain not lessthan 12 hours biennially or six hours annually of continuing educationapproved by such localgoverning body.Not less than six hoursbiennially or three hours annually shall consist of code education.Continuing education may be provided by the local governingbody, a nationally recognized trade association, communitycollege, technical school, technical college or other provider approvedby the local governingbody. All hours of education shall consist of trainingrelative to construction, maintenance and code update training.Neither thecounty commission nor the governing body of such city shall impose anyrestriction on the number of providers of such continuingeducation.

      (b)   The certificate of competency received by any person whosuccessfully passes an examination designated by K.S.A.12-1508, and amendments thereto, shall be validproof of competency for licensure,without additional examination, in anycounty or city of the state which requires licensure of plumberspracticingwithin such county or city. The county or city shall issue the appropriatelicense to any applicant therefor who presents such a certificate ofcompetency. The county or city shall fix a uniform fee to be chargedall such applicants for licensure.

      (c)   All new licenses issued by a county or city upon the basis ofsuccessful passage of an examination designated by K.S.A. 12-1508,and amendments thereto, shall bear adistinctive notation identifying the testing agency andthe specific test by name. All such licenses renewed upon the basis ofcompleted continuing education as provided by subsection (a) shall bear adistinctive notation to verify such completion. All such licenses shall bevalid in anyother county or city which requires examination and licensure ofplumbers for practice in such county or city.

      (d)   No person who was certified or licensed prior to July 1, 1989,upon the basis of passage of a standard examination designated as suchunder the provisions of article 15 of chapter 12 of Kansas StatutesAnnotated, and whose certificate or license was issued by a politicalsubdivision which prescribed a minimum score of not less than 70% forpassage of such examination, shall be required to be reexamined for renewalof certification or licensure.

      (e)   Before sitting for the standard examination designated by K.S.A.12-1508, and amendments thereto, an applicant for a journeyman certificateshall demonstrate documented proof of a minimum of two years field experience."Field experience" means working under the direct supervision of a personhaving a valid journeyman certificate or master certificate or attending traderelated schooling. No more than one year of the requirement may be satisfied bytrade relatedschooling. Schooling shall consist of a minimum of 240 hours classroomtraining.

      (f)   Before sitting for the standard examination designated by K.S.A. 12-1508,and amendments thereto, an applicant for a master certificate shall demonstratedocumented proof of having a valid journeyman certificate for a minimum of twoyears or having field experience for a minimum of four years.

      History:   L. 1986, ch. 73, § 2;L. 1989, ch. 59, § 10;L. 2005, ch. 143, § 1;L. 2009, ch. 16, § 1; July 1.