12-1509. Rules and regulations relating to licensure and examination; certificate of competency; uniform fee required; where licenses valid; continuing education; field experience; installation, improvement, repair, maintenance or inspection of medical gas piping systems. (a) Any county or city requiring the licensure of plumbers practicing within the county or city may conduct examinations designated by K.S.A. 12-1508, and amendments thereto, for the purpose of determining the competency of applicants for such licensure and shall not be allowed to ask further questions not designated on such examination. The board of county commissioners of such county or the governing body of such city shall adopt rules and regulations: (1) Governing the conduct and grading of such examinations; (2) prescribing a minimum score of 75% for passage of examinations; (3) fixing a uniform fee to be charged all applicants taking each such examination; and (4) requiring all persons receiving such license annually to obtain not less than 12 hours biennially or six hours annually of continuing education approved by such local governing body. Not less than six hours biennially or three hours annually shall consist of code education. Continuing education may be provided by the local governing body, a nationally recognized trade association, community college, technical school, technical college or other provider approved by the local governing body. All hours of education shall consist of training relative to construction, maintenance and code update training. Neither the county commission nor the governing body of such city shall impose any restriction on the number of providers of such continuing education.

(b) The certificate of competency received by any person who completes the experience requirements specified in subsections (e) and (f) and who successfully passes an examination designated by K.S.A. 12-1508, and amendments thereto, shall be valid proof of competency for licensure, without additional examination, in any county or city of the state which requires licensure of plumbers practicing within such county or city. The county or city shall issue the appropriate certificate to any applicant therefor who presents such a certificate of competency and who demonstrates that such applicant has met the experience requirements specified in subsections (e) and (f). The county or city shall fix a uniform fee to be charged all such applicants for licensure.

(c) All new licenses issued by a county or city upon the basis of successful passage of an examination designated by K.S.A. 12-1508, and amendments thereto, shall bear a distinctive notation identifying the testing agency and the specific test by name. All such licenses renewed upon the basis of completed continuing education as provided by subsection (a) shall bear a distinctive notation to verify such completion. All such licenses shall be valid in any other county or city which requires examination and licensure of plumbers for practice in such county or city.

(d) No person who was certified or licensed prior to July 1, 1989, upon the basis of passage of a standard examination designated as such under the provisions of article 15 of chapter 12 of the Kansas Statutes Annotated, and amendments thereto, and whose certificate or license was issued by a political subdivision which prescribed a minimum score of not less than 70% for passage of such examination, shall be required to be reexamined for renewal of certification or licensure.

(e) Before issuing a journeyman certificate, the issuing jurisdiction shall verify the validity of the applicant's documented proof of a minimum of two years field experience. "Field experience" means working under the direct supervision of a person having a valid journeyman certificate or master certificate or attending trade related schooling. No more than one year of the requirement may be satisfied by trade related schooling. Schooling shall consist of a minimum of 930 program hours documented by a certificate of completion.

(f) Before issuing a master certificate, the issuing jurisdiction shall verify the validity of the applicant's documented proof of having a valid journeyman certificate for a minimum of two years or having field experience for a minimum of four years.

(g) (1) No person shall install, improve, repair, maintain or inspect a medical gas piping system within a county or city unless such person: (A) Is licensed under the provisions of K.S.A. 12-1508 et seq., and amendments thereto; and (B) is certified under the appropriate professional qualifications standard or standards of ASSE Series 6000. All installers shall obtain a proper permit from the county or city for which the medical gas is being installed, all inspections shall be done by a third party agency certified under the appropriate professional qualifications standard or standards of ASSE Series 6000 for medical gas systems inspectors and all documentation of the inspections and certifications of installers and inspectors shall be provided to the county or city prior to any occupancy of the building or unit of the building in which the medical gas piping has been installed until an occupancy permit is issued. This subsection shall not apply in counties or cities in which building codes require an inspector certified by a nationally-recognized code organization to inspect medical gas installation prior to an occupancy permit being issued or to limited maintenance on a medical gas piping system previously installed in a hospital when performed by hospital maintenance personnel.

(2) As used in this subsection (g):

(A) "Medical gas piping" means the piping used solely to transport gasses used for medical purposes at a health care facility or the place of business of a health care provider;

(B) "limited maintenance" means minor repair or replacement of incidental parts and any related inspection or testing; and

(C) "hospital" means a medical care facility as defined in K.S.A. 65-425, and amendments thereto, and includes within its meaning any clinic, long-term care facility, limited care residential facility and joint enterprises for the provision of health care services operated in connection with the operation of the medical care facility.

History: L. 1986, ch. 73, § 2; L. 1989, ch. 59, § 10; L. 2005, ch. 143, § 1; L. 2009, ch. 16, § 1; L. 2010, ch. 121, § 1; L. 2011, ch. 32, § 1; L. 2012, ch. 43, § 1; L. 2014, ch. 118, § 9; July 1.