(Arlington, VA)— Once there were seventeen states with no contractor licensing—now there are only sixteen. Effective 1 January 2007 New Hampshire approved licensing for that state’s 5,000+ gas fitters by passing HB 1711, called Amilia’s Law.
The New Hampshire’s executive and administration departments unanimously supported legislation chaired by Senator Joseph D. Kenney. This legislation states that in New Hampshire contractors must use technicians who “have had mandatory training and are licensed to ensure proper installation and repairs of gas systems.”
North American Technician Excellence (NATE) technician certification is a component of this licensure requirement. Amilia’s Law makes New Hampshire the first state to include NATE certification as a component of a state’s licensing law. In 2005, the city of Terre Haute, Indiana became the first U.S. city to require NATE certification of technicians as a component of contractor licensing.
Amilia’s Law establishes procedures and guidelines for licensure of fuel gas fitters in New Hampshire, provides the public a way to recognize fuel gas fitters, provides employers with a formal structure to train employees and test their knowledge and skill levels, and provides technicians with the knowledge to properly perform their jobs. Improper gas installation could lead to fire, explosion, or even carbon monoxide poisoning. Propane fitters also are required to be licensed by the state.
Amilia’s Law is named for Amilia Luhrmann . In May 2003 a leaky gas fixture caused the family’s Lake Winnepesaukee home to explode. Amilia was killed, and her parents, two siblings, and grandparents were injured in the blast.
“Amilia’s Law,” Senator Kenney stated, “will help prevent tragedies like this from happening again by requiring all fuel gas fitters to be uniformly trained and licensed. Contractors and homeowners will know that people who are installing gas systems in their homes are properly trained and can do the job right.”
Senate Democratic Leader Sylvia Larsen concurred in that Amilia’s Law “ensures that qualified people will be installing and repairing gas systems. New Hampshire needs to protect its citizens from faulty gas system repairs that can result in catastrophic events. Everyone in New Hampshire should feel safe in their homes and not worry about their lives being devastated due to substandard installation or repair of their gas system.”
NATE has sample legislation available on its Web site for use by interested groups. In a recent American Home Comfort Study by Decision Analysts, 88% of consumers indicated that it was important to them to have certified technician work on their home comfort systems.
Founded in 1997, NATE is the only technician certification test which has been fully supported by all segments of the HVAC/R industry, the EPA, VA, and endorsed by the DOE. There are over 25,000 NATE-certified technicians nationwide. NATE certifies technicians for installation and/or service in air conditioning, air distribution, gas heating, heat pumps, oil heat, hydronic gas heating, and hydronic oil heating specialties. To earn certification, technicians must have passed both a core test (covering fundamentals of electricity and heat transfer), and at least one specialty of their choice.
Consumers can locate contractors with NATE-certified technicians by going to www.natex.org, clicking on the Consumers heading and then selecting Consumer-Contractor Connection to identify contractors near them.
For more information on NATE, contact Carl Smith (703) 600 0361, casmith@natex.org |
