MILITARY EXPERIENCE FOR LICENSURE               H.B. 5582 (H-1), 5583 (H-1), & 5590 (H-2):

                                                                                                      FLOOR SUMMARY

House Bill 5582 (Substitute H-1 as reported without amendment)

House Bill 5583 (Substitute H-1 as reported without amendment)

House Bill 5590 (Substitute H-2 as reported by the Committee of the Whole)

Sponsor:  Representative Gail Haines (H.B. 5582)

               Representative Mark Ouimet (H.B. 5583)

               Representative Joseph Graves (H.B. 5590)

House Committee:  Military and Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security

Senate Committee:  Veterans, Military Affairs and Homeland Security

CONTENT

House Bill 5582 (H-1) would amend the Electrical Administrative Act, and House Bill 5583 (H-1) would amend the State Plumbing Act, to allow certain experience a person gained while serving in the Armed Forces to meet the experience qualifications for an electrical journeyman's license or a journey plumber's license, respectively. 

Under the Electrical Administrative Act, the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) must issue an electrical journeyman's license to a person who meets certain qualifications, including having at least 8,000 hours of experience related to electrical construction or maintenance of buildings or electrical wiring or equipment, obtained over a period of at least four years, under the direct supervision of a person licensed under the Act.

House Bill 5582 (H-1) would require LARA to issue a journeyman's license to a person who met the experience requirement described above or who, while on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces, served as an interior electrician or in an equivalent job classification; was honorably discharged from military service within one year before filing a licensing application; and provided with the application an affidavit signed by a commanding officer, supervisor, or military superior with direct knowledge of the applicant's service stating that he or she had at least 8,000 hours of entry-level experience in, and basic knowledge of, each of the topics listed in the bill.

Under the State Plumbing Act, LARA must issue a journey plumber's license to a person who has certain qualifications, including having at least 6,000 hours of experience as an apprentice plumber in the practical installation of plumbing, gained over at least three years under the supervision of a master plumber.

House Bill 5583 (H-1) would require LARA to issue a journey plumber's license to an applicant who met the 6,000-hour experience requirement or who, while on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces, served as a plumber or in an equivalent job classification; was honorably discharged from military service in the one year before filing the application; and provided with his or her application an affidavit signed by a commanding officer, supervisor, or military superior with direct knowledge of the applicant's service stating that he or she had at least 6,000 hours of entry-level experience in, and basic knowledge of, each of the following topics listed in the bill.

Under each bill, if an applicant otherwise met the proposed requirements but had not attained specified hours of entry-level experience or did not have basic knowledge in each of the listed areas, he or she could provide with the application an affidavit stating the amount of experience the applicant had attained and of which areas the applicant had basic knowledge.  In that case, LARA could in its discretion grant the applicant credit toward the hours-of-experience requirement based on his or her experience.

House Bill 5590 (H-2) would amend the Private Security Business and Security Alarm Act to allow certain experience a person gained as a military police officer while serving in the Armed Forces to meet the experience qualifications for licensure as a private security guard or agency.

The Act requires LARA to issue a license to conduct a business as a security alarm system contractor or a private security guard, private security police, or to a private security guard business if it is satisfied that the applicant has certain qualifications.  If the applicant is applying for a private security guard or agency license, he or she must have been lawfully engaged in the private security guard or agency business or in law enforcement in the capacity and for the duration specified in the Act.

Under the bill, as an alternative to those requirements, an applicant could qualify if he or she had been on active duty as a member of the Armed Forces as a military police officer or in an equivalent job classification for at least three years; had been honorably discharged from military service; and provided with his or her application an affidavit signed by a commanding officer, supervisor, or military superior with direct knowledge of the applicant's service stating that he or she had entry-level experience in or basic knowledge of each of the areas specified in the bill.

The bill also would lower from 25 to 21 the minimum age for an applicant to receive a license.  The age requirement would not apply, however, to an applicant who had been an active duty military police officer as described above.

MCL 338.883d (H.B. 5582)                                         Legislative Analyst:  Patrick Affholter

       338.3535 (H.B. 5583)

       338.1056 (H.B. 5590)

FISCAL IMPACT

House Bills 5582 (H-1) and 5583 (H-1) would have a minor, but positive fiscal impact on the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.  The bills essentially would allow veterans to apply their relevant military experience toward hour requirements for licensure as a journeyman plumber or electrician.  Since individuals who met these criteria would be licensed as a journeyman rather than apprentice, they would have to pay the journeyman annual license fees, which are $40 for both plumbers and electricians, rather than the apprentice fees, which are $15 for both professions.  This would serve to increase the amount of revenue received by the Bureau of Commercial Services by a likely small amount.

House Bill 5590 (H-2) would have a small, but likely positive, fiscal impact on the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs.  By lowering the age at which an individual can become licensed as a security alarm system contractor, a private security guard, private security police, or private security guard business, the bill would allow some unknown number of additional individuals to be eligible for licensure.  This would likely lead to additional applications for these types of licenses, which would increase revenue received by LARA.

Date Completed:  12-4-12                                                     Fiscal Analyst:  Josh Sefton

This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.