12-1542.   Rules and regulations relating to licensureand examination;certificate of competency; uniform fee required; where license valid;continuing education; field experience.(a) Any county or city requiring the licensure ofmechanical heating, ventilation and air conditioning contractors and masterand journeyman heating, ventilation and air conditioning mechanicspracticing within the county or city may conduct examinations designated byK.S.A. 12-1541 for the purpose 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 the governing body of such city shall adopt rules and regulations:(1)Governing the conduct and grading of such examinations; (2) prescribinga minimum score of 75% for passage of examinations; (3) fixing auniformfee to be charged all applicants taking each such examination; and (4)requiring all persons receiving such license annually to obtainnot less than 12 hours biennially or six hours annually of continuingeducation approved by suchlocal governing body.Not less than six hoursbiennially or three hours annually shall consist of code education.Continuing education may be provided by the localgoverning body, a nationally recognized trade association, communitycollege, technical school, technical college or other provider approved by thelocal 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 continuing education.

      (b)   The certificate of competency received by any person whosuccessfully passes an examination designated by K.S.A. 12-1541, andamendments thereto,shall be validproof of competency for licensure, without additional examination, in anycounty or city of the state which requires licensure ofmechanical heating, ventilation and air conditioning contractors and masterand journeyman heating, ventilation and air conditioning mechanicspracticingwithin 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 charged allsuch 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. 12-1541, andamendments thereto, shall bear adistinctive notation identifying the testing agency andthe specific test by name. All licenses renewed upon the basis of completedcontinuing education as provided by subsection (a) shall bear a distinctivenotation to verify such completion. All such licenses shall be valid in anyother county or city which requires examination and licensure ofmechanical heating, ventilation and air conditioning contractors and masterand journeyman heating, ventilation and air conditioning mechanicsfor 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 by thepolitical subdivision and whose certificate or license was issued by suchpoliticalsubdivision 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.12-1541, and amendments thereto, an applicant for a journeyman heating,ventilation and air conditioning mechanic certificate shall demonstratedocumented proof of a minimum of two years field experience. "Field experience"means working under the direct supervision of a person having a validjourneyman certificate or master certificate or attending trade relatedschooling. No more than oneyear of the requirement may be satisfied by trade related schooling. Schoolingshall consist of minimum of 240 hours classroom training.

      (f)   Before sitting for the standard examination designated by K.S.A. 12-1541,and amendments thereto, an applicant for a master heating, ventilation and airconditioning mechanic certificate shall demonstrate documented proof of havinga valid journeyman certificate for a minimum of two years or having fieldexperience for a minimum of four years.

      History:   L. 1989, ch. 59, § 3;L. 2005, ch. 143, § 2;L. 2009, ch. 16, § 3; July 1.