§ 20-334d — Continuing professional education requirements for electricians and plumbers. Regulations. Exemptions.

Connecticut § 20-334d

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 20: Professional and Occupational Licensing, Certification, Title Protection and Registration. Examining Boards
• Ch. 393: Electricians, Plumbers, Solar, Heating, Piping and Cooling Contractors and Journeymen, Elevator and Fire Protection Sprinkler Craftsmen, Irrigation Contractors and Journeymen, Gas Hearth Installer Contractors and Journeymen and Residential Stair Lift Technicians

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(a) As used in this section: (1) “Accredited continuing professional education” means any education of an electrician or plumber that is (A) designed to maintain professional competence in the practice, pursuit and standards of electrical work or plumbing and piping work, (B) approved by the commissioner, and (C) provided (i) by an agency, institution or organization that has been approved by the commissioner, and (ii) in-person or through an online technology platform that includes real-time video with audio, requires participants to periodically confirm their active engagement during the educational training session and enables participants to interact with instructors in real time during the entire educational training session; (2) “Certificate of continuing education” means a document that (A) an agency, institution or organization that has been approved by the commissioner and offers accredited continuing professional education issues to an electrician or plumber, (B) certifies that an electrician or plumber has satisfactorily completed a specified number of continuing education hours, and (C) bears the (i) name of such agency, institution or organization, (ii) title of the program, (iii) dates during which the program was conducted, (iv) number of continuing education hours satisfactorily completed, and (v) signature of the director of such agency, institution or organization or of such director's authorized agent; and (3) “Commissioner” means the Commissioner of Consumer Protection. (b) The commissioner, with the advice and assistance of the Electrical Work Board established pursuant to subsection (b) of section 20-331 , shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to: (1) Establish additional requirements for accredited continuing professional education for electricians licensed pursuant to sections 20-330 to 20-341 , inclusive; (2) establish qualifying criteria for accredited continuing professional education programs and establish qualifying criteria for acceptable certificates of continuing education; and (3) provide for the waiver of required accredited continuing professional education for electricians for good cause. Such regulations shall require not less than four hours per year of accredited continuing professional education for such electricians, except upon request of the Electrical Work Board, the commissioner may increase such hours to a maximum of seven hours. (c) The commissioner, with the advice and assistance of the Plumbing and Piping Work Board established pursuant to subsection (d) of section 20-331 , shall adopt regulations, in accordance with chapter 54, to: (1) Establish additional requirements for accredited continuing professional education for plumbers licensed pursuant to sections 20-330 to 20-341 , inclusive, which regulations shall require not more than a total of seven hours of accredited continuing professional education every two years, except in the event of significant changes to the building code, as approved by the International Code Council, that relate to plumbing, the commissioner, at such commissioner's discretion, may require more than a total of seven hours of accredited continuing professional education every two years; (2) establish qualifying criteria for accredited continuing professional education programs and establish qualifying criteria for acceptable certificates of continuing education; and (3) provide for the waiver of required accredited continuing professional education for plumbers for good cause. (d) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsection (c) of this section, any person who has been issued a P-6, P-7, W-8 or W-9 license pursuant to section 20-334a and the regulations of Connecticut state agencies shall not be required to meet the continuing education requirements established pursuant to subsection (c) of this section. (e) Notwithstanding the provisions of subsections (a) to (d), inclusive, of this section, all accredited continuing professional education offered under the provisions of this section shall: (1) Limit class size to (A) fifty attendees if such accredited continuing professional education is offered in-person, or (B) twenty-five attendees if such accredited continuing professional education is offered through an online technology platform; (2) not be offered or held at the place of business of a licensed plumbing contractor if such accredited continuing professional education is for plumbers and offered in-person; and (3) not be offered or held at the place of business of a licensed electrical contractor if such accredited continuing professional education is for electricians and offered in-person. A provider of an accredited continuing professional education course shall retain an audio-visual recording of such course for a period of not less than thirty days after completion of such course. Recordings shall be made available to the department upon the department's request for such recordings.

Legislative History

(P.A. 02-142, S. 1; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, S. 146(c); P.A. 04-189, S. 1; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-3, S. 48; P.A. 06-49, S. 1; P.A. 07-110, S. 1; P.A. 11-247, S. 1; P.A. 22-104, S. 42.) History: P.A. 02-142 effective June 14, 2002; June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6 replaced Commissioner of Consumer Protection with Commissioner of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective July 1, 2004; P.A. 04-189 repealed Sec. 146 of June 30 Sp. Sess. P.A. 03-6, thereby reversing the merger of the Departments of Agriculture and Consumer Protection, effective June 1, 2004; June Sp. Sess. P.A. 05-3 added Subsec. (d) re exemption for plumbers who serve an apprenticeship that includes at least 700 hours of related classroom instruction, effective June 30, 2005; P.A. 06-49 added provision in Subsec. (c)(1) requiring commissioner to adopt regulations requiring not more than 7 hours of continuing professional education every two years for plumbers, deleted former Subsec. (d) re exemption for plumbers who had completed at least 700-hour apprenticeship and added new Subsec. (d) re exemption for P-6, P-7, W-8 or W-9 license holders, effective May 8, 2006; P.A. 07-110 made a technical change in Subsec. (c)(1); P.A. 11-247 amended Subsec. (b) by adding provision re regulations to require not less than 4 hours per year of accredited continuing professional education, except upon request of Electrical Work Board, commissioner may increase such hours to a maximum of 7, effective July 1, 2011; P.A. 22-104 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by dividing existing provisions into Subparas. (A), (B) and (C)(i) and adding Subpara. (C)(ii) re manner in which education may be conducted, Subsec. (a)(2) by dividing existing provisions into Subparas., added Subsec. (e) re limitation on class size, location where in-person education may be conducted, recordkeeping and disclosure of records, and made technical and conforming changes in Subsecs. (a), (b) and (c), effective May 24, 2022.