HB-5349, As Passed House, April 1, 2004

SUBSTITUTE FOR

HOUSE BILL NO. 5349

                                                                             A bill to amend 1956 PA 217, entitled                                             

"Electrical administrative act,"                                            

by amending sections 1b and 3k (MCL 338.881b and 338.883k), as              

added by 1992 PA 130.                                                       

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

1       Sec. 1b.  (1) "Electric sign" means fixed, stationary, or                   

2   portable self-contained, electrically illuminated equipment that            

3   has words or symbols designed to convey information or attract              

4   attention.  Electric sign includes outline lighting.  Electric              

5   sign does not include  those  signs that are indoor or outdoor              

6   portable applications or recognized holiday residential signs               

7   listed with a recognized testing and approval agency and that use           

8   a cord cap-110 volt plug as the electrical energizing attachment            

9   method.                                                                     

10      (2) "Outline lighting" means an arrangement of incandescent                 

1   lamps or electric discharge tubing  which that is an integral              

2   part of an  electrical electric sign  that outlines outlining

3   certain features, such as the shape of a building or the                    

4   decoration of a window.                                                     

5       (3) "Sign specialty contractor" means a person, firm, or                    

6   corporation engaged in the business of  manufacturing

7   fabricating, installing, maintaining, connecting, or repairing              

8   electric sign wiring or devices, including wiring that is                   

9   directly related to electric signs and is electrically dedicated            

10  as a sign circuit.  The term does not include a manufacturer of             

11  signs that is subject to section 7(3)(e).

12      (4) "Sign specialist" means a person who, as his or her                     

13  principal occupation, is engaged in the installation, alteration,           

14  or repair of electric signs.                                                

15      (5) "Sign specialty licensure" means licensure as a sign                    

16  specialist or sign specialty contractor.                                    

17      (6) "Related wiring" means the following:                                   

18      (a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivisions (b), (c),                  

19  and (d), that portion of the electric sign wiring that originates           

20  at the load-side terminals of a disconnecting means  located in             

21  the vicinity of on or adjacent to the electric sign involved but           

22  does not include the installation of the disconnecting means,               

23  complete with line-side connections.                                        

24      (b) In the case of electric sign installations having sign                  

25  transformers installed physically apart from the electric sign,             

26  that portion of the electric sign wiring that originates at the             

27  load-side terminals of a disconnecting means  located in the                

1   vicinity of on or adjacent to the electric sign involved but               

2   does not include the installation of the disconnecting means,               

3   complete with line-side connections.                                        

4       (c) In the case of free-standing electric sign installations                

5   supplied through underground circuit conductors, that portion of            

6   the electric sign wiring that originates at a wiring termination            

7   point adjacent to, within, or immediately above the permanent               

8   base for the electric sign but does not include, if the base of             

9   the sign structure is suitable for use as a raceway, the                    

10  installation of bushing, complete with free-length circuit                  

11  conductors extending through to accommodate the connection of the           

12  related wiring within the sign structure raceway.                           

13      (d) In the case of electric signs specifically designed to be               

14  connected directly to the building wiring raceway or cable                  

15  supply, that portion of the electric sign wiring that originates            

16  at the point where the free-length circuit conductors extend                

17  through the building wiring raceway or cable at the specifically            

18  designed supply location for the electric sign involved but does            

19  not include the installation of the building wiring raceway or              

20  cable system to the specifically designated point of supply for             

21  the electric sign involved, complete with free-length circuit               

22  conductors extending through the building wiring raceway or cable           

23  to accommodate the connection of the related wiring.                        

24      Sec. 3k.  (1) Subject to section  5(6) or (7) 5, the                       

25  department of labor and economic growth shall issue a sign                  

26  specialist's license to a person not less than 18 years of age              

27  who does all of the following:                                              

1       (a) Files a completed application form provided by the                      

2   department of labor and economic growth.                                    

3       (b) Pays the examination fee prescribed in section 3 and                    

4   passes an examination provided for by the board and the                     

5   department of labor and economic growth.                                    

6       (c) Pays the license fee prescribed in section 3.                           

7       (d) Has not less than 4,000 hours of experience, obtained                   

8   over a period of not less than 2 years, related to the                      

9   manufacture fabrication, installation, maintenance, connection,           

10  or repair of electric signs and related wiring as verified by a             

11  contractor licensed under this act who is the current employer of           

12  the applicant.  The hours of experience may be obtained from                

13  multiple employers, and equivalent education as determined by the           

14  board may be substituted for work experience.                               

15      (e) Demonstrates the successful completion of a course                      

16  concerning the installation, maintenance, connection, or repair             

17  of electric signs and related wiring  as contained in the sign              

18  electrician's workbook published by the American technical                  

19  publishers, inc.  or any other course designed to address the               

20  installation, maintenance, connection, or repair of electric                

21  signs and related wiring, as  approved by the board.                        

22      (2) Upon failure to pass the sign specialist examination 2                  

23  times within a period of 2 years, an applicant  shall be is

24  ineligible to sit for another examination until he or she                   

25  presents to the board proof of the successful completion of a               

26  course on code and electrical fundamentals approved by the board            

27  ,  in order to become eligible again to sit for an examination.            

1       (3) As a condition of renewal of a sign specialist's license,               

2   the sign specialist shall demonstrate the successful completion             

3   of a course, approved by the board, concerning any update or                

4   change in applicable sections of the code within 12 months after            

5   the update or change in that code.  This requirement applies only           

6   during or after those years that the code is updated or changed.            

7       (4) A licensed master electrician, journeyman electrician, or               

8   apprentice electrician  shall is not  be  required to have a               

9   sign specialist's license to perform those work activities.