Arkansas HVACR NewsMagazine May 2021

News Magazine May 2021

FEATURE STORY

Another important aspect of the bill passing was help from the Department of Labor and Licensing. Though we do not know what they did, we know what they did not do. They did not speak against the bill behind the scenes. That played a significant role in the bill passing. Though we do not know what they did, we know what they did not do.

education regulation. As a result, the Association moved forward with Representative Lynch to ask for enabling legislation--legal and more acceptable to some in the legislature.

What is the Next Move?

Act 978 will become effective 90 days after the Legislature adjourns Sine Die. That just means it is over. Th is year, we don’t know when that will be because the Legislature and Governor agreed to return in September to take up legislative and Congressional redistricting which has been delayed due to issues with the U.S. Census Bureau. After they approve redrawn district lines, they will sine die and soon thereafter be called into a special session by the governor to discuss tax cuts and reform. It could be January 2022 before the law will take effect. Hopefully, the Licensing Board will move expeditiously to write and adopt regulations. Again, that is the purview of the Licensing Board; however, it has always been the goal of the Association that the process be simple and easy. In the past, we have proposed the following: • 4 total hours per year for license renewal  2 hours required for code training Plus option of  2 hours for technical or business  2 hours for additional code • Applies to year in which training was received What will the regulations include?

They did not speak against the bill behind the scenes.

What Act 978 Does —

978 gives the HVACR Licensing Board authority to propose regulation to require Continuing Education. The Board must propose regulations, host hearings, and submit their findings and recommendations to a Legislative Review Committee. It is enabling legislation. The reason for enabling legislation as opposed to a law requiring Continuing Ed was the preference of some in the legislature. In 2019 the effort failed in the House Public Health, Welfare, and Labor Committee by a couple votes because some thought a legislative requirement was too constrictive. They thought Continuing Education should be the result of regulation which is easier to change. The Health Department, our fiduciary supervision at the time, had vacillated between legislation and regulation for years. In 2019, the licensing program was moved under Labor and Licensing as part of the Governor’s reorganization plan. Their attorney determined that our law did not provide for continuing