December 3, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Dennis, Rocca, O'Neil, Wojno, Hopgood, Meisner, Julian, Gieleghem, Palsrok, Gaffney, Sheen, DeRoche, Zelenko, Minore, Condino and Farhat and referred to the Committee on Regulatory Reform.
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
sign that outlines outlining certain
3 features, such as the shape of a building or the decoration of a
4 window.
5 (3) "Sign specialty contractor" means a person, firm, or
6 corporation engaged in
the business of manufacturing,
7 installing, maintaining, connecting, or repairing electric sign
8 wiring or devices, including wiring that is directly related to
9 electric signs and is electrically dedicated as a sign circuit.
10 (4) "Sign specialist" means a person who, as his or her
11 principal occupation, is engaged in the installation, alteration,
12 or repair of electric signs.
13 (5) "Sign specialty licensure" means licensure as a sign
14 specialist or sign specialty contractor.
15 (6) "Related wiring" means the following:
16 (a) Except as otherwise provided in subdivisions (b), (c),
17 and (d), that portion of the electric sign wiring that originates
18 at the load-side terminals of a disconnecting means located in
19 the vicinity of the electric sign involved but does not include
20 the installation of the disconnecting means, complete with
21 line-side connections.
22 (b) In the case of electric sign installations having sign
23 transformers installed physically apart from the electric sign,
24 that portion of the electric sign wiring that originates at the
25 load-side terminals of a disconnecting means located in the
26 vicinity of the electric sign involved but does not include the
27 installation of the disconnecting means, complete with line-side
1 connections.
2 (c) In the case of free-standing electric sign installations
3 supplied through underground circuit conductors, that portion of
4 the electric sign wiring that originates at a wiring termination
5 point adjacent to, within, or immediately above the permanent
6 base for the electric sign but does not include, if the base of
7 the sign structure is suitable for use as a raceway, the
8 installation of bushing, complete with free-length circuit
9 conductors extending through to accommodate the connection of the
10 related wiring within the sign structure raceway.
11 (d) In the case of electric signs specifically designed to be
12 connected directly to the building wiring raceway or cable
13 supply, that portion of the electric sign wiring that originates
14 at the point where the free-length circuit conductors extend
15 through the building wiring raceway or cable at the specifically
16 designed supply location for the electric sign involved but does
17 not include the installation of the building wiring raceway or
18 cable system to the specifically designated point of supply for
19 the electric sign involved, complete with free-length circuit
20 conductors extending through the building wiring raceway or cable
21 to accommodate the connection of the related wiring.
22 Sec. 3k. (1) Subject
to section 5(6) or (7) 5, the
23 department of labor consumer
and industry services shall issue
24 a sign specialist's license to a person not less than 18 years of
25 age who does all of the following:
26 (a) Files a completed application form provided by the
27 department of labor consumer
and industry services.
1 (b) Pays the examination fee prescribed in section 3 and
2 passes an examination provided for by the board and the
3 department of labor consumer
and industry services.
4 (c) Pays the license fee prescribed in section 3.
5 (d) Has not less than 4,000 hours of experience, obtained
6 over a period of not less than 2 years, related to the
7 manufacture, installation, maintenance, connection, or repair
8 of electric signs and related wiring as verified by a contractor
9 licensed under this act who is the current employer of the
10 applicant. The hours of experience may be obtained from multiple
11 employers, and equivalent education as determined by the board
12 may be substituted for work experience.
13 (e) Demonstrates the successful completion of a course
14 concerning the installation, maintenance, connection, or repair
15 of electric signs and related wiring as contained in the sign
16 electrician's workbook published by the American technical
17 publishers, inc. or any other course designed to address the
18 installation, maintenance, connection, or repair of electric
19 signs and related wiring, as approved by the board.
20 (2) Upon failure to pass the sign specialist examination 2
21 times within a period of
2 years, an applicant shall be is
22 ineligible to sit for another examination until he or she
23 presents to the board proof of the successful completion of a
24 course on code and electrical fundamentals approved by the board
25 , in order to become eligible again to sit for an
examination.
26 (3) As a condition of renewal of a sign specialist's license,
27 the sign specialist shall demonstrate the successful completion
1 of a course, approved by the board, concerning any update or
2 change in applicable sections of the code within 12 months after
3 the update or change in that code. This requirement applies only
4 during or after those years that the code is updated or changed.
5 (4) A licensed master electrician, journeyman electrician, or
6 apprentice electrician shall
is not be required to have a
7 sign specialist's license to perform those work activities.