Various changes to statutes administered by the Department of Safety and Professional Services and attached credentialing boards and requiring the exercise of rule-making authority. (FE)

1. Licenses, permits, and certificates of certification or registration issued by DSPS, an examining board, or an affiliated credentialing board with respect to various professions, including cosmetology, accounting, architecture, boxing, mixed martial arts, and health professions (professional credentials).

2. Licenses, permits, certificates, registrations, or other approvals issued by DSPS with respect to trades (occupational licenses).

Specifically, this bill requires that any rules promulgated by DSPS that define uniform procedures for the following must conform with rules related to professional credentials: receiving, filing, and investigating complaints against holders of occupational licenses; commencing disciplinary proceedings against holders of occupational licenses; and conducting hearings on matters relating to occupational licenses.

The bill also provides that many laws that apply to professional credentials also apply to occupational licenses, including laws that do all of the following:

1. Govern how and when an application for an initial professional credential or a renewal is granted or denied.

2. Prescribe standards and procedures for how a person may file a complaint against a professional credential holder.

3. Set forth standards and procedures for conducting investigations, commencing disciplinary proceedings, holding hearings, and making findings regarding violations of laws and rules governing professional credential holders.

4. Prescribe the process and procedure for issuing administrative warnings to professional credential holders, reprimanding professional credential holders, and denying, limiting, suspending, and revoking professional credentials.

5. Set forth certain rights and obligations of professional credential holders.

Multifamily dwelling code The bill repeals the statutes, and the authority of DSPS to promulgate rules, that establish standards for the construction of multifamily dwellings and their components. Those statutes and rules are commonly known as the multifamily dwelling code.

Under current law, a county, city, village, or town (political subdivision) is prohibited from enforcing any ordinance that does not comply with the multifamily dwelling code, except with respect to a preexisting stricter sprinkler ordinance that meets certain requirements. The bill repeals the multifamily dwelling code, including the exception for preexisting stricter sprinkler ordinances, but retains certain powers of DSPS which are incorporated into the provisions that regulate public buildings and buildings that are places of employment (commercial building code).

Under current law, a multifamily dwelling is subject to the commercial building code if the multifamily dwelling is a “public building," which current law defines to include a building used by the public or by three or more tenants for lodging or occupancy, or is a place of employment. The bill does not change the applicability of the commercial building code to multifamily dwellings.

Safety glazing material in hazardous locations The bill repeals existing statutory requirements related to labeling, installing, and selling safety glazing material located or to be located in hazardous locations.

Under the bill, DSPS must promulgate rules regulating safety glazing material manufactured, distributed, imported, sold, or installed for use in a hazardous location.

Aging schools program The bill repeals an outdated requirement under the aging schools program that DSPS inspect all public schools constructed prior to January 1, 1950, for compliance with certain safety and building requirements.

Alternative dispute resolution for manufactured housing industry disputes The bill eliminates the requirement that DSPS establish by rule an alternative dispute resolution program for disputes concerning defects in or installation of manufactured homes. Under current law, the ADR program must provide for the timely, nonjudicial resolution of disputes among manufacturers, salespersons, dealers, and installers of manufactured homes if those disputes are reported to DSPS within one year of the date on which a manufactured home is installed.

Temporary revocable permits for master and journeyman plumbers The bill eliminates the authority of DSPS to issue temporary revocable permits to master and journeyman plumbers pending an examination. The bill also eliminates the authority of DSPS to promulgate rules governing the issuance of those permits.

Septic tank installers The bill eliminates references under current law to “septic tank installers" in requirements related to installation of private on-site wastewater treatment systems.

Definition of public swimming pools The bill changes the definition of public swimming pool to exclude an inflated mobile structure, basin, chamber, or tank; a swim pond; or an individual therapeutic pod, tub, or bath. Under current law, DSPS must review and approve any plans for the construction, alteration, or reconstruction of a public swimming pool, and no one may maintain, manage, or operate a public swimming pool unless DSPS has approved the plans and the public swimming pool conforms to those plans.

Other changes The bill makes various other changes and corrections to various laws governing the regulation professions, including requiring a jurisprudence examination for applicants for licensure as a funeral director that tests an applicant's knowledge of state law relating to funeral directing. The bill does not otherwise affect current examination requirements for funeral directors.