1.1 	A bill for an act
1.2 	relating to occupations; creating sign specialist
1.3 	licenses to be issued by the Board of Electricity;
1.4 	authorizing rulemaking; amending Minnesota Statutes
1.5 	2004, sections 326.241, subdivision 1; 326.242, by
1.6 	adding a subdivision.
1.7 	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA:

1.8 	Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 326.241,
1.9 	subdivision 1, is amended to read:
1.10 		Subdivision 1.Composition.  The Board of Electricity
1.11 	shall consist of 11 12 members, residents of the state,
1.12 	appointed by the governor of whom two shall be representatives
1.13 	of the electrical suppliers in the rural areas of the state, two
1.14 	shall be master electricians, who shall be contractors, two
1.15 	journeyman electricians, one registered consulting electrical
1.16 	engineer, two power limited technicians, who shall be technology
1.17 	system contractors primarily engaged in the business of
1.18 	installing technology circuits or systems, one licensed sign
1.19 	installer,and two public members as defined by section 214.02.
1.20 	Membership terms, compensation of members, removal of members,
1.21 	the filling of membership vacancies, and fiscal year and
1.22 	reporting requirements shall be as provided in sections 214.07
1.23 	to 214.09.  The provision of staff, administrative services and
1.24 	office space; the review and processing of complaints; the
1.25 	setting of board fees; and other provisions relating to board
1.26 	operations shall be as provided in chapter 214.

2.1 	Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 2004, section 326.242, is
2.2 	amended by adding a subdivision to read:
2.3 		Subd. 3e.Licensed sign installer. (a) Except as
2.4 	otherwise provided by law, no person shall install, alter,
2.5 	repair, plan, lay out, or supervise the installing, altering, or
2.6 	repairing of electrical wiring, apparatus, or equipment for
2.7 	electric signs unless the person is licensed by the board as a
2.8 	sign installer.
2.9 	(b) The board shall issue a sign installer's license to a
2.10 	person not less than 18 years of age who:
2.11 	(1) files a completed application form provided by the
2.12 	board;
2.13 	(2) pays the examination fee prescribed by law and passes
2.14 	an examination provided for by the board;
2.15 	(3) pays the license fee prescribed by law;
2.16 	(4) has not less than 4,000 hours of experience, obtained
2.17 	over a period of not less than two years, related to the
2.18 	manufacture, installation, maintenance, connection, or repair of
2.19 	electric signs and related wiring.  The hours of experience may
2.20 	be obtained from multiple employers, and equivalent education as
2.21 	determined by the board may be substituted for work experience;
2.22 	and 
2.23 	(5) demonstrates the successful completion of a course
2.24 	concerning the installation, maintenance, connection, or repair
2.25 	of electric signs and related wiring as contained in the sign
2.26 	electrician's workbook published by the American Technical
2.27 	Publishers, Inc. or any other course designed to address the
2.28 	installation, maintenance, connection, or repair of electric
2.29 	signs and related wiring, as approved by the board.
2.30 	(c) Upon failure to pass the sign installer examination two
2.31 	times within a period of two years, an applicant is ineligible
2.32 	to sit for another examination until the applicant presents to
2.33 	the board proof of the successful completion of a course on code
2.34 	and electrical fundamentals approved by the board, in order to
2.35 	become eligible again to sit for an examination.
2.36 	(d) As a condition of renewal of a sign installer's
3.1 	license, the installer shall demonstrate the successful
3.2 	completion of a course, approved by the board, concerning any
3.3 	update or change in applicable sections of the code within 12
3.4 	months after the update or change in that code.  This
3.5 	requirement applies only during or after those years that the
3.6 	code is updated or changed.
3.7 	(e) A licensed master electrician or journeyman electrician
3.8 	is not required to have a sign installer's license to perform
3.9 	sign installations.

3.10 	Sec. 3. EFFECTIVE DATE.
 3.11 	Sections 1 and 2 are effective July 1, 2006.