GEORGIA STATUTES AND CODES
               		§ 43-14-6 - Powers and duties of divisions
               		
               		
               	 	
               	 	               	 	
               	 	
               	 	
               	 		
O.C.G.A.    43-14-6   (2010)
   43-14-6.    Powers and duties of divisions 
      (a)  The  Division of Electrical Contractors, with respect to applicants for a  license to engage in or licensees engaging in the business of electrical  contracting; the Division of Master Plumbers and Journeyman Plumbers,  with respect to applicants for a license to engage in or licensees  engaging in the business of plumbing as master plumbers or journeyman  plumbers; the Division of Low-voltage Contractors, with respect to  applicants for a license to engage in or licensees engaging in the  business of low-voltage contracting; the Division of Utility Contractors  with respect to applicants for a license to engage in or licensees  engaging in the business of utility contracting and with respect to  applicants for a certificate to be a utility manager or utility foreman  or holders of a utility manager or utility foreman certificate; and the  Division of Conditioned Air Contractors, with respect to applicants for a  license to engage in or licensees engaging in the business of  conditioned air contracting, shall:
      (1)  Approve  examinations for all applicants for licenses or certificates, except  for utility contractor licenses and utility foreman certificates. The  Division of Electrical Contractors shall approve separate examinations  for Class I and Class II licenses. Class I licenses shall be restricted  to electrical contracting involving multifamily structures of not more  than two levels or single family dwellings of up to three levels. In  addition, the structures shall have single-phase electrical  installations which do not exceed 400 amperes at the service drop or the  service lateral. Class II licenses shall be unrestricted. The Division  of Master Plumbers and Journeyman Plumbers shall approve separate  examinations for Master Plumber Class I, Master Plumber Class II, and  Journeyman Plumbers. Master Plumber Class I licenses shall be restricted  to plumbing involving single-family dwellings and one-level dwellings  designed for not more than two families and commercial structures not to  exceed 10,000 square feet in area. Master Plumber Class II licenses  shall be unrestricted. The Division of Conditioned Air Contractors shall  approve separate examinations for Class I and Class II licenses. Class I  licenses shall be restricted to the installation, repair, or service of  conditioned air systems or equipment not exceeding 175,000 BTU (net) of  heating and five tons (60,000 BTU) of cooling. Class II licenses shall  be unrestricted. The Division of Low-voltage Contractors shall approve  separate examinations for Low-voltage Contractor Class LV-A, Low-voltage  Contractor Class LV-T, Low-voltage Contractor Class LV-U, and  Low-voltage Contractor Class LV-G. Class LV-A licenses shall be  restricted to alarm and general system low-voltage contracting, Class  LV-T licenses shall be restricted to telecommunication and general  system low-voltage contracting, Class LV-G licenses shall be restricted  to general system low-voltage contracting, and Class LV-U licenses shall  be unrestricted and permit the performance of alarm, telecommunication,  and general system low-voltage contracting;
      (2)  Register  and license or grant a certificate and issue renewal licenses and  renewal certificates biennially to all persons meeting the  qualifications for a license or certificate. The following licenses or  certificates shall be issued by the divisions:
            (A)  Electrical Contractor Class I;
            (B)  Electrical Contractor Class II;
            (C)  Master Plumber Class I;
            (D)  Master Plumber Class II;
            (E)  Journeyman Plumber;
            (F)  Conditioned Air Contractor Class I;
            (G)  Conditioned Air Contractor Class II;
            (H)  Low-voltage Contractor Class LV-A;
            (I)  Low-voltage Contractor Class LV-T;
            (J)  Low-voltage Contractor Class LV-G;
            (K)  Low-voltage Contractor Class LV-U;
            (L)  Utility Contractor; Class A;
            (M)  Utility Contractor; Class B;
            (N)  Utility Contractor; Class U;
            (O)  Utility Manager (certificate); and
            (P)  Utility Foreman (certificate);
      (3)  Investigate,  with the aid of the division director, alleged violations of this  chapter or other laws and rules and regulations of the board relating to  the profession;
      (4)  After notice and  hearing, have the power to reprimand any person, licensee, or  certificate holder, or to suspend, revoke, or cancel the license or  certificate of or refuse to grant, renew, or restore a license or  certificate to any person, licensee, or certificate holder upon any one  of the following grounds:
            (A)  The  commission of any false, fraudulent, or deceitful act or the use of any  forged, false, or fraudulent document in connection with the license or  certificate requirements of this chapter or the rules and regulations of  the board;
            (B)  Failure at any time  to comply with the requirements for a license or certificate under this  chapter or the rules and regulations of the board;
            (C)  Habitual  intemperance in the use of alcoholic spirits, narcotics, or stimulants  to such an extent as to render the license or certificate holder unsafe  or unfit to practice any profession licensed or certified under this  chapter;
            (D)  Engaging in any dishonorable or unethical conduct likely to deceive, defraud, or harm the public;
            (E)  Knowingly  performing any act which in any way assists an unlicensed or  noncertified person to practice such profession;
            (F)  Violating,  directly or indirectly, or assisting in or abetting any violation of  any provision of this chapter or any rule or regulation of the board;
            (G)  The  performance of any faulty, inadequate, inefficient, or unsafe  electrical, plumbing, low-voltage contracting, utility contracting, or  conditioned air work likely to endanger life, health, or property.  The  performance of any work that does not comply with the standards set by  state codes or by local codes in jurisdictions where such codes are  adopted, provided that such local codes are as stringent as the state  codes, or by other codes or regulations which have been adopted by the  board, shall be prima-facie evidence of the faulty, inadequate,  inefficient, or unsafe character of such electrical, plumbing,  low-voltage contracting, utility contracting, or conditioned air work;  provided, however, that the board, in its sole discretion, for good  cause shown and under such conditions as it may prescribe, may restore a  license to any person whose license has been suspended or revoked;
            (H)  With respect to utility contractors, the bidding by such a utility contractor in excess of license coverage; or
            (I)  With respect to utility contractors, violations of Chapter 9 of Title 25;
      (5)  Review  amendments to or revisions in the state minimum standard codes as  prepared pursuant to Part 1 of Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 8; and  the Department of Community Affairs shall be required to provide to the  division director a copy of any amendment to or revision in the state  minimum standard codes at least 45 days prior to the adoption thereof;  and
      (6)  Do all other things necessary  and proper to exercise their powers and perform their duties in  accordance with this chapter.
(b)  The  Division of Electrical Contractors may also provide, by rules and  regulations, for the issuance of certificates of competency pertaining  to financial responsibility and financial disclosure; provided, however,  that such rules and regulations are adopted by the board. The division  shall issue certificates of competency and renewal certificates to  persons meeting the qualifications therefor.
(c)  The  divisions mentioned in subsection (a) of this Code section shall also  hear appeals resulting from the suspension of licenses by an approved  municipal or county licensing or inspection authority pursuant to Code  Section 43-14-12.
      (d)(1)  With respect to Conditioned  Air Contractor Class I and Class II licenses, the Division of  Conditioned Air Contractors shall be authorized to require persons  seeking renewal of licenses to complete board approved continuing  education of not more than four hours annually.  The division shall be  authorized to approve courses offered by institutions of higher  learning, vocational technical schools, and trade, technical, or  professional organizations; provided, however, that continuing education  courses or programs related to conditioned air contracting provided or  conducted by public utilities, equipment manufacturers, or institutions  under the State Board of Technical and Adult Education shall constitute  acceptable continuing professional education programs for the purposes  of this subsection. Continuing education courses or programs shall be in  the areas of safety, technological advances, business management, or  government regulation. Courses or programs conducted by manufacturers  specifically to promote their products shall not be approved.
      (2)  All provisions of this subsection relating to continuing professional education shall be administered by the division.
      (3)  The  division shall be authorized to waive the continuing education  requirements in cases of hardship, disability, or illness or under such  other circumstances as the board deems appropriate.
      (4)  The  division shall be authorized to promulgate rules and regulations to  implement and ensure compliance with the requirements of this Code  section.
      (5)  The continuing education  requirements of this subsection shall not be required of any licensed  conditioned air contractor who is a registered professional engineer.
      (6)  This Code section shall apply to each licensing and renewal cycle which begins after the 1990-1991 renewal.
      (e)(1)  With  respect to Electrical Contractor Class I and Class II licenses, the  Division of Electrical Contractors shall be authorized to require  persons seeking renewal of licenses to complete board approved  continuing education of not more than four hours annually.  The division  shall be authorized to approve courses offered by institutions of  higher learning, vocational-technical schools, and trade, technical, or  professional organizations; provided, however, that continuing education  courses or programs related to electrical contracting provided or  conducted by public utilities, equipment manufacturers, or institutions  under the State Board of Technical and Adult Education shall constitute  acceptable continuing professional education programs for the purposes  of this subsection.  Continuing education courses or programs conducted  by manufacturers specifically to promote their products shall not be  approved.
      (2)  The division shall be  authorized to waive the continuing education requirements in cases of  hardship, disability, or illness or under such other circumstances as  the division deems appropriate.
      (f)(1)  With respect to  utility foreman certificates and utility manager certificates issued  under this chapter, the Division of Utility Contractors shall be  authorized to require persons seeking renewal of such certificates to  complete board approved continuing education of not more than four hours  annually.  The division shall be authorized to approve courses offered  by institutions of higher learning, vocational-technical schools, and  trade, technical, or professional organizations; provided, however, that  continuing education courses or programs related to utility contracting  provided or conducted by institutions under the State Board of  Technical and Adult Education shall constitute acceptable continuing  professional education programs for the purposes of this subsection.
      (2)  The  division shall be authorized to waive the continuing education  requirements in cases of hardship, disability, or illness or under such  other circumstances as the division deems appropriate.
      (g)(1)  With  respect to Journeyman Plumber, Master Plumber Class I, and Master  Plumber Class II licenses, the Division of Master Plumbers and  Journeyman Plumbers shall be authorized to require persons seeking  renewal of such licenses to complete board approved continuing education  of not more than four hours annually.  The division shall be authorized  to approve courses offered by institutions of higher learning,  vocational-technical schools, and trade, technical, or professional  organizations; provided, however, that continuing education courses or  programs related to plumbing provided or conducted by institutions under  the State Board of Technical and Adult Education shall constitute  acceptable continuing professional education programs for the purposes  of this subsection.
      (2)  The division  shall be authorized to waive the continuing education requirements in  cases of hardship, disability, or illness or under such other  circumstances as the division deems appropriate.