An Act To Amend the Licensing Laws of the Maine Fuel Board
Maine Legislature, Session 127, LD 1405
Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: CUSHING
Amends: 32 MRSA §18101, 32 MRSA §18102, 32 MRSA §18123, 32 MRSA §18132, 32 MRSA §18133, 32 MRSA §18134, 32 MRSA §18135

Legislative Document 
No. 1405 
S.P. 523 
In Senate, May 12, 2015 
An Act To Amend the Licensing Laws of the Maine Fuel Board 
Submitted by the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation pursuant to Joint 
Rule 204. 
Reference to the Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development 
suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Secretary of the Senate 
Presented by Senator CUSHING of Penobscot. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  32 MRSA §18101, sub-§§6, 7 and 10, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 344, Pt. 
C, §3 and affected by Pt. E, §2, are amended to read: 
6.  Equipment installations.  "Equipment installations" means the installation, 
alteration or repair of oil, solid fuel, propane or natural gas burning equipment and 
chimneys, or pellet-fired central heating appliances, including accessory equipment as 
relating only to the safety of the installation. Associated electrical equipment must be 
wired in compliance with the rules of the Electricians' Examining Board established in 
Title 5, section 12004-A, subsection 13. 
7.  Natural gas.  "Natural gas" means hydrocarbon fuel in a gaseous state with a 
composition of predominantly CH4 , delivered by pipeline to the property of the 
consumer. 
10.  Self-service dispensing station.  "Self-service dispensing station" means a 
licensed facility where propane or natural gas is dispensed into permanently mounted fuel 
containers on vehicles and is operated by the general public at a dispensing station. 
Sec. 2.  32 MRSA §18102, first ¶, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 344, Pt. C, §3 and 
affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read: 
A person who installs or services oil, solid fuel burning equipment, including pellet-
fired central heating appliances, or oil, propane or natural gas burning equipment and a 
facility where propane or natural gas is dispensed must be licensed under this chapter, 
except as provided under section 18104. 
Sec. 3.  32 MRSA §18123, sub-§3, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 344, Pt. C, §3 and 
affected by Pt. E, §2, is repealed. 
Sec. 4.  32 MRSA §18132, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 344, Pt. C, §3 and affected 
by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read: 
§18132.  Master oil burner technician or solid fuel technician 
1.  Scope of license.  A The permitted activities for a person licensed as a master oil 
and burner technician or master solid fuel burning technician may install, clean, service, 
alter or repair oil and solid fuel burning equipment and must hold one or more of the 
following authorities:  number one and number 2 oils up to 15 gallons per hour; number 
one and number 2 oils over 15 gallons per hour; number 4, number 5 and number 6 oils; 
number one to number 6 oils; and solid fuel are as follows. 
A.  A master oil burner technician may install, clean, service, alter or repair oil 
burning equipment and must hold one or more of the following authorities: number 
one and number 2 oils up to 15 gallons per hour; number one and number 2 oils over 
gallons per hour; number 4, number 5 and number 6 oils; number one to number 6 
oils; and pellet-fired central heating appliances. 
B.  A master solid fuel technician may install, clean, service, alter or repair solid fuel 
burning equipment. 
2.  Professional qualifications.  Each applicant for a master oil and burner or solid 
fuel burning license must pass an examination approved by the board and meet the 
following qualifications: 
A.  The applicant must demonstrate 4 years of licensed practical experience as an 
apprentice oil and burner technician or solid fuel burning technician and or a 
journeyman oil and burner technician or solid fuel burning technician and evidence 
that the licensed practical experience for at least 2 of those 4 years was as a licensed 
journeyman oil and burner technician or solid fuel burning technician or other 
requirements the board may establish.  Courses approved by the board that apply to a 
journeyman license cannot be applied toward the requirements for a master license; 
and. 
B.  The applicant must pass an examination approved by the board. 
An out-of-state applicant must present satisfactory evidence to the board of experience in 
installing, cleaning, servicing, altering and repairing oil and or solid fuel burning 
equipment. 
Sec. 5.  32 MRSA §18133, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 344, Pt. C, §3 and affected 
by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read: 
§18133.  Journeyman oil burner technician or solid fuel technician 
1.  Scope of license.  A The permitted activities for a person licensed as a 
journeyman oil and burner technician or journeyman solid fuel burning technician may 
install, clean, service, alter or repair oil and solid fuel burning equipment and must hold 
one or more of the following authorities: number one and number 2 oils up to 15 gallons 
per hour; number one and number 2 oils over 15 gallons per hour; number 4, number 5 
and number 6 oils; number one to number 6 oils; and solid fuel.  A journeyman oil and 
solid fuel burning technician may install oil and solid fuel burning equipment under the 
indirect supervision of a master oil and solid fuel burning technician who has the same 
authority or higher and must at all times be under the indirect supervision of, or in the 
employ of, a master oil and solid fuel burning technician are as follows. 
A.  A journeyman oil burner technician, under the indirect supervision of, or in the 
employ of, a master oil burner technician may install, clean, service, alter or repair oil 
burning equipment and must hold one or more of the following authorities: number 
one and number 2 oils up to 15 gallons per hour; number one and number 2 oils over 
gallons per hour; number 4, number 5 and number 6 oils; number one to number 6 
oils; and pellet-fired central heating appliances.  The supervising or employing 
master oil burner technician must hold at least the same authority as the journeyman 
oil burner technician. 
B.  A journeyman solid fuel technician, under the indirect supervision of, or in the 
employ of, a master solid fuel technician, may install, clean, service, alter or repair 
solid fuel burning equipment. 
2.  Professional qualifications.  Each applicant for a journeyman oil and burner or 
solid fuel burning license must pass an examination approved by the board and must meet 
one of the following qualifications: 
A.  One year of licensed practical experience as an apprentice oil and burner 
technician or solid fuel burning technician; 
B.  Six months of licensed practical experience as an apprentice oil and burner 
technician or solid fuel burning technician and completion of an oil burner or solid 
fuel technician course at a community college, career and technical education center 
or career and technical education region or a comparable institute in the State or 
another state consisting, at a minimum, of 160 hours of study, of which at least 75 
hours are made up of laboratory work on oil burner burning equipment and related 
systems; or 
C.  Successful completion of a minimum one-year accredited heating course at a 
community college in this State consisting at a minimum of 320 hours of study, of 
which at least 150 hours are made up of laboratory work on oil burner or solid fuel 
burning equipment and related systems. 
An out-of-state applicant must present satisfactory evidence to the board of experience in 
installing, cleaning, servicing, altering and repairing oil and solid fuel burning equipment. 
Sec. 6.  32 MRSA §18134, sub-§1, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 344, Pt. C, §3 and 
affected by Pt. E, §2, is repealed. 
Sec. 7.  32 MRSA §18134, sub-§1-A is enacted to read: 
1-A.  Scope of license.  The permitted activities for a person licensed as an 
apprentice oil burner technician or apprentice solid fuel technician are as follows. 
A.  An apprentice oil burner technician may: 
(1)  Assist in making oil installations and repairing and servicing of oil burning 
equipment under the direct supervision of a master or journeyman oil burner 
technician who holds the same or higher authority. License authorities include: 
number one and number 2 oils up to 15 gallons per hour; number one and number 
oils over 15 gallons per hour; number 4, number 5 and number 6 oils; number 
one to number 6 oils; and pellet-fired central heating appliances; 
(2)  Bleed an oil burner without direct supervision. If the oil burner fails to 
operate after bleeding, the apprentice shall refer the problem to a journeyman oil 
burner technician or master oil burner technician; and 
(3)  Clean oil burning equipment without direct supervision if the apprentice has 
either successfully completed at least 160 hours of training approved by the board 
or completed at least one year of supervised oil burner work experience. 
B.  An apprentice solid fuel technician may: 
(1)  Assist in making solid fuel installations and repairing and servicing of solid 
fuel burning equipment under the direct supervision of a master or journeyman 
solid fuel technician; and 
(2)  Clean solid fuel burning equipment without direct supervision if the 
apprentice has either successfully completed at least 160 hours of training 
approved by the board or completed at least one year of supervised solid fuel 
work experience. 
Sec. 8.  32 MRSA §18135, sub-§2, as enacted by PL 2009, c. 344, Pt. C, §3 and 
affected by Pt. E, §2, is amended to read: 
2.  Professional qualifications.  Each Prior to July 1, 2016, an applicant for a 
propane and natural gas technician license must meet one of the following qualifications: 
A.  Successful completion of the certified employee training program of a national 
propane gas association; or 
B.  Successful completion of a board-approved propane or natural gas course at a 
Maine community college, career and technical education center or career and 
technical education region or a comparable institute of this State or another state and 
passage of an examination approved by the board. 
An out-of-state applicant must present satisfactory evidence to the board of experience in 
installing, cleaning, servicing, altering and repairing propane and natural gas burning 
equipment. 
Sec. 9.  32 MRSA §18135, sub-§2-A is enacted to read: 
2-A.  Professional qualifications beginning July 2016.  On or after July 1, 2016, an 
applicant for a propane and natural gas technician license must pass a board-approved 
examination and must: 
A.  Provide evidence of one year of licensed practical experience as a propane and 
natural gas helper; 
B.  Provide evidence of 6 months of licensed practical experience as a propane and 
natural gas helper or as a licensee with an authority described under subsection 1 and 
completion of a board-approved propane and natural gas course at a Maine 
community college, career and technical education center or career and technical 
education region or a comparable institute in this State or another state; or 
C.  Provide evidence of 6 months of licensed practical experience as a propane and 
natural gas helper or as a licensee with an authority described under subsection 1 and 
completion of a national propane gas association's certified employee training 
program or other propane or natural gas program approved by the board. 
Sec. 10.  Revision of licenses.  The Department of Professional and Financial 
Regulation shall review the licenses issued by the Maine Fuel Board pursuant to the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 32, sections 18132, 18133 and 18134 and submit 
legislation to the Second Regular Session of the 127th Legislature by January 15, 2016 
that changes the name and scope of the licenses to reflect the changes made in this Act. 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends the provisions of law regarding the Maine Fuel Board by: 
1.  Clarifying that there is a separate license and scope of practice for a master oil 
burner technician, master solid fuel technician, journeyman oil burner technician, 
journeyman solid fuel technician, apprentice oil burner technician and apprentice solid 
fuel technician; 
2.  Specifying that the installation, cleaning, repairing and servicing of pellet-fired 
central heating appliances is included within the scope of practice of oil burner 
technicians if that person holds a pellet-fired central heating appliances authority; 
3.  Removing the authority of the Maine Fuel Board to authorize pilot projects 
relating to emerging fuel fired heating technology; and 
4.  Upgrading the technical training required to obtain a propane and natural gas 
technician license.