HBA-CMT H.B. 2984 77(R)    BILL ANALYSIS


Office of House Bill AnalysisH.B. 2984
By: Corte
Licensing & Administrative Procedures
3/26/2001
Introduced



BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE 

Currently, the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor License Law
(law) provides for an air conditioning and refrigeration contractor
license.  A person who works on air conditioning or heating systems and is
not otherwise exempted by the law, must work under the supervision of a
licensed contractor.  House Bill 2984 creates a technician license, which
allows the license holder to perform unsupervised work on systems for which
the person holds a specific license endorsement. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking
authority is expressly delegated to the commissioner of licensing and
regulation in SECTION 3 (Article 8861, V.T.C.S.) of this bill. 

ANALYSIS

House Bill 2984 amends the Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Contractor
License Law to establish a technician license and that unless a person is
exempted, that person is prohibited from performing air conditioning and
refrigeration contracting or act as a technician without an appropriate
license.  The bill provides that a technician license must be endorsed with
one or more specified endorsements.  The bill requires the commissioner of
licensing and regulation (commissioner) to prescribe a separate examination
for each endorsement.  The bill provides that an applicant for a technician
license must pass an examination relating to the endorsement for which
application is made, register with the commissioner, and have at least two
years' experience installing, servicing, or repairing environmental air
conditioning, commercial refrigeration, or process cooling or heating
systems, or complete a training program approved by the commissioner and
have at least one year of the specified experience.  The bill establishes a
technician license holder to install, service, or repair only the type of
system for which the license is endorsed.  The commissioner is required to
adopt rules as necessary to implement the provisions of the bill.  

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2001.