An Act To Establish New License Fee Caps
Maine Legislature, Session 121, LD 1441
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: BROMLEY, SULLIVAN
Amends: 32 MRSA §3112, 32 MRSA §3114-A, 32 MRSA §3115, 32 MRSA §3116, 32 MRSA §3116-A, 32 MRSA §3, 32 MRSA §3501, 32 MRSA §3501-A, 32 MRSA §3504

Legislative Document 
No. 1441 
S.P.479 
In Senate, March 26, 2003 
An Act To Establish New License Fee Caps 
Submitted by the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation pursuant to Joint 
Rule 204. 
Reference to the Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development suggested 
and ordered printed. 
Presented by Senator BROMLEY of Cumberland. 
Cosponsored by Representative SULLIVAN of Biddeford. 
Printed on recycled paper 
JOY J. O'BRIEN 
Secretary of the Senate 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
PART A 
Sec. A-I. 32 MRSA §3112, sub-§5, ,D, as enacted by PL 1979, c. 
555, §2, is repealed. 
Sec. A-2. 32 MRSA §3114-A, sub-§2, ,B, as amended by PL 1999, 
c. 386, Pt. K, §4, is further amended to read: 
B. 
Pay an application fee 
esEa:a±i:shea-~-t-a.e.-,&ea~e.--i-n--aa 
am9liaE-a9E-E9-eHeeea-$1& as set under section 3116-A. 
Sec. A-3. 32 MRSA §3115, as amended by PL 1983, c. 413, §136, 
is further amended to read: 
§3115. Licensure 
The board shall license aay 
an applicant who 
meets 
the 
requirements of this chapter and pays the biennial licensure fee 
s~eeiFiea--:i-n--seGt.-i<Hl--~lla as set under section 3ll6-A. The fee 
for original licenses effective for one year or less during the 
biennial licensing period shal-l--be .is. 112 the fee 
s~eeiE-i-e4-,ia 
seeE,i9B--llla set under section 3ll6-A. 
Each person licensed 
shall--~eeeiye receives 
a 
certificate. 
Every certificate of 
licensure and renewal certificate for the current bienniumsha±± 
mus-.t. be conspicuously displayed at the place of employment of the 
licensee. 
A certificate of licensure as 
a 
physical therapist 
shall-eaEi:Ele entitles the person to whom it is granted to engage 
in the practice of physical therapy anywhere in this State and to 
use the words "physical therapist" or letters "P. T." to indicate 
that he the person is licensed in this State. A certificate of 
licensure 
as 
a 
physical 
therapist 
assistant 
sRall---eB~,i~±e 
entitles the person to whom it is granted to act as a physical 
therapist assistant and to use the words "physical therapist 
assistant" or letters "P.T.A." to indicate that he the person is 
licensed in this State. 
Sec. A·4. 32 MRSA §3116, as amended by PL 1999, c. 386, Pt. 
K, §5, is further amended to read: 
§3116. Biennial licensure renewal 
All licenses must be renewed biennially on or before March 
31st of each even-numbered year or at such other times as the 
Commissioner 
of 
Professional 
and 
Financial 
Regulation 
may 
designate upon application by the licensee accompanied by the fee 
set under section 3116-A. 
~he-b4eBB4a~-~~~~~~~-E-e&-may 
a9~--~--$agT 
Any 
license 
not 
renewed 
by 
March 
31st 
Page l-LR1924(1) 
aut.omatically expires. The board may renew an expired license if 
the renewal notice is returned within 90 days of the expiration 
date and upon payment of a late fee ef-$±Q in addition to the 
renewal fee. 
Aay A person who submits an application for renewal 
more than 90 days after the license expiration date is subject to 
all requirements governing new applicants under this chapter, 
except 
that 
the 
board 
may 
in 
its 
discretion, 
g~v~ng due 
consideration to the protection of the public, waive examination 
if the renewal application is made within 2 years from the date 
of that expiration. 
Sec. A-S. 32 MRSA §3116-A is enacted to read: 
§3116-A. 
Fees 
The Director of the Office of Licensing and Registration 
within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation 
may establish by rule fees for purposes authorized under this 
chapter in amounts that are reasonable and necessary for their 
respective purposes, except that the fee for anyone purpose may 
not 
exceed 
$100 biennially. 
Rules 
adopted pursuant to this 
section are 
routine technical rules 
as 
defined in Title 
5, 
chapter 375, subchapter 2-A. 
PARTB 
Sec. B-1. 32 MRSA §3S01, sub-§§2 and 2-A, as amended by PL 
1999, c. 386, Pt. L, §6, are further amended to read: 
2. 
Journeyman or limited license. 
The board may issue a 
journeyman plumber or limited plumber license to persons who 
submit an application on a form prescribed by the board with the 
required 
fee 
as 
set 
under 
section 
3501-B 
and 
who 
provide 
satisfactory evidence of the following qualifications: 
A. 
A minimum of at least 2 years with 4,000 hours of work 
in the field of plumbing installations as a licensed trainee 
plumber under the supervision of a master plumber, or the 
equivalent 
thereof, 
and 
obtaining 
a 
passing 
grade 
as 
determined by the board on the journeyman's examination; or 
B. 
A minimum of 
2,000 hours 
of work 
in the field of 
plumbing installations as a journeyman-in-training under the 
supervision of a licensed master plumber, as long as the 
work experience is obtained within 4 years of the date upon 
which 
the 
applicant 
was 
issued 
a 
journeyman-in-training 
license. 
A journeyman-in-training license must 
be 
issued 
upon sworn application to any person who has satisfactorily 
completed one academic year of instruction in plumbing at a 
board-approved technical college 
and 
who 
has 
obtained 
a 
passing 
grade, 
as 
determined 
by 
journeyman's examination. 
the 
board 
on 
the 
2-A. 
Master plumber license. 
The board may issue a master 
plumber license to a person who submits an application on a form 
prescribed by the board with the reguired fee 
as set under 
section 3501-B and who 
provides satisfactory evidence of the 
following qualifications: 
A. 
A minimum of at least one year with 2,000 hours of work 
in the field of plumbing installations as 
a 
journeyman 
plumber or a minimum of at least 4 years with 8,000 hours of 
work in the field of plumbing installations as a trainee 
plumber under the supervision of a master plumber, or the 
equivalent; and 
B. 
Obtaining a passing grade, as determined by the board on 
the master's examination. 
Sec. B-2. 32 MRSA §3501, sub-§2-B, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 
386, Pt. L, §6, is amended to read: 
2-D. 
Journeyman-in-training. 
The 
board 
may 
issue 
a 
journeyman-in-training 
license 
to 
a 
person 
who 
provides 
satisfactory 
evidence 
of 
completion 
of 
a 
plumbing 
course 
consisting of 
one 
year 
or 
semesters 
at 
a 
board-approved 
technical college and who 
submits the reguired 
feE~ set under 
section 350l-B. 
A journeyman-in-training license is valid for a 
single nonrenewable period of 4 years and may be issued only once 
to any individual. 
Sec. B-3. 32 MRSA §3501, sub-§3, as amended by PL 1999, c . 
386, Pt. L, §6, is further amended to read: 
3. 
Trainee license. 
The board may issue a trainee plumber 
license without examination to any person who submits a written 
application on a form supplied by the board with the reguired fee 
set under section 350l-B and who provides satisfactory evidence 
that the person has entered the employ of a 
licE!Dsed master 
plumber to assist the licensed master plumber as a plumber's 
trainee. 
Any person employed as a trainee plumber shall apply 
for a license within 10 business days after the day the person 
commences employment. 
Sec. B-4. 32 MRSA §3501-A, first '1(, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 
386, Pt. L, §7, is amended to read: 
An 
applicant 
for 
journeyman-in-training plumbing 
board 
a 
written 
application 
a 
master, 
journeyman 
or 
license shall present 
to 
the 
for 
examination, 
containing 
information 
that 
the 
board 
requires, 
accompanied 
by 
the 
prescribed fee as set ~eF~h-~~~-F~±es under section 3501-B. 
Examinations must be in whole or in part in writing and of a 
thorough 
and 
practical 
character 
commensurate 
with 
the 
responsibilities of the prospective license holder. 
Sec. B·S. 32 MRSA §3501.B, as enacted by PL 1999, c. 386, Pt. 
L, §8, is repealed and the following enacted in its place: 
§3501-B. Fees 
The Director of the Office of Licensing and Registration 
wi thin the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation 
may establish by rule fees 
authorized under this chapter in 
amounts that are reasonable and necessary for their respective 
purposes, except that the fee for anyone purpose may not exceed 
$200 biennially. 
Rules adopted pursuant to this section are 
routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, 
chapter 
375, 
subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. B·6. 32 MRSA §3504, 3rd 1[, as amended by PL 1999, c. 386, 
Pt. L, §10, is further amended to read: 
A license may be renewed up to 90 days after the date of its 
expiration upon payment of a late fee 
e~-$19 in addition to the 
renewal fee. 
Any person who submits an application for renewal 
more than 90 days after the license expiration date is subject to 
all requirements governing new applications under this chapter, 
except 
that 
the 
board 
may 
in 
its 
discretion, 
glvlng 
due 
consideration to the protection of the public, waive examination 
or other requirements. 
The board may assess penalties for late 
renewal that is more than 90 days after the date of expiration. 
Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter, the board 
shall waive examination if a renewal application is made within 
days after separation from the United States Armed Forces, 
under conditions other than dishonorable, by a person who has 
failed to renew the person's license because the person was on 
active duty in the United States Armed Forces: 
pFeviQeQ-~hat the 
waiver of examination may not be granted if the person served 
more than 4 years in the United States Armed Forces, except if 
the person is required by some mandatory provision to serve a 
longer period and the person submits satisfactory evidence to the 
board. 
SUMMARY 
The bill increases the license fee cap for physical therapy 
licenses from $60 to $100 and increases the cap for plumbers 
licenses from $150 to $200. 
This bill also gives 
and 
Registration within 
Financial Regulation the 
fee amounts. 
the Director of the Office of Licensing 
the 
Department 
of 
Professional 
and 
authori ty to set individual licensing