CS/CS/HB 669 2022
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
A bill to be entitled 1
An act relating to alarm systems; amending s. 2
489.5185, F.S.; authorizing individuals with certain 3
fire alarm certifications to complete a reduced number 4
of training and continuing education hours for the 5
prevention of false alarms; requiring the training and 6
continuing education sponsors and courses to be 7
approved by the Electrical Contractors' Licensing 8
Board; amending s. 553.793, F.S.; revising the 9
definition of the term "low-voltage alarm system 10
project" to include certain video cameras and closed -11
circuit television systems; creating s. 553.7932, 12
F.S.; providing definitions; authorizing a local 13
enforcement agency to require a contractor to submit 14
certain documentation for a fire alarm system project; 15
prohibiting a local enforcement agency from requiring 16
plans and specifications as a condition for obtaining 17
a permit for a fire alarm system project; requiring a 18
local enforcement agency to issue certain permits in 19
person or electronically; requiring a local 20
enforcement agency to perform at least one inspection 21
for a fire alarm system project; requiring a 22
contractor to keep certain documentation at a worksite 23
for a fire alarm system project; providing an 24
effective date. 25
CS/CS/HB 669 2022
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
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Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 27
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Section 1. Subsection (5) of section 489.5185, Florida 29
Statutes, is amended, and paragraph (f) is added to subsection 30
(2) of that section, to read: 31
489.5185 Fire alarm system age nts.— 32
(2) 33
(f) If a person holds a current National Institute of 34
Certification in Engineering Technologies (NICET) Level II 35
certification or higher in Fire Alarm Systems or Inspection and 36
Testing of Fire Alarm Systems, a current certification as an 37
Electronic Security Association (ESA) Certified Fire Alarm 38
Technician, or a current certification as an ESA Certified Fire 39
Alarm Designer, he or she is required to complete only the 2 40
hours of training in the prevention of false alarms required by 41
paragraph (1)(b) from a board-approved sponsor of training and 42
through a board-approved training course. 43
(5)(a) Except as provided in paragraph (b), each fire 44
alarm system agent must receive 6 hours of continuing education 45
on fire alarm system installation and repair and false alarm 46
prevention every 2 years from a board -approved sponsor of 47
training and through a board -approved training course. 48
(b) A person holding a current NICET Level II 49
certification or higher in Fire Alarm Systems or Inspection and 50
CS/CS/HB 669 2022
CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Testing of Fire Alarm Systems, certification as an ESA Certified 51
Fire Alarm Technician, or certification as an ESA Certified Fire 52
Alarm Designer is required to complete only 2 hours of 53
continuing education training in the prevention of false alarms 54
every 2 years from a board-approved sponsor of training and 55
through a board-approved training course. 56
Section 2. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section 57
553.793, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: 58
553.793 Streamlined low -voltage alarm system installation 59
permitting.— 60
(1) As used in this section, the term: 61
(b) "Low-voltage alarm system project" means a project 62
related to the installation, maintenance, inspection, 63
replacement, or service of a new or existing alarm system, as 64
defined in s. 489.505, including video cameras and closed-65
circuit television systems used to signal or detect a burglary, 66
fire, robbery, or medical emergency, that is hardwired and 67
operating at low voltage, as defined in the National Electrical 68
Code Standard 70, Current Edition, or a new or exi sting low-69
voltage electric fence . The term also includes , and ancillary 70
components or equipment attached to such a low-voltage alarm 71
system or low-voltage electric fence, including, but not limited 72
to, home-automation equipment, thermostats, closed -circuit 73
television systems, access controls, battery recharging devices, 74
and video cameras. 75
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
Section 3. Section 553.7932, Florida Statutes, is created 76
to read: 77
553.7932 Simplified permitting process for fire alarm 78
system projects.— 79
(1) As used in this section, the term: 80
(a) "Contractor" means a person who is qualified to engage 81
in the business of electrical or alarm system contracting 82
pursuant to a certificate or registration issued by the 83
department under part II of chapter 489. 84
(b) "Fire alarm sys tem project" means a fire alarm system 85
alteration of a total of 20 or fewer initiating devices and 86
notification devices, or the installation or replacement of a 87
fire communicator connected to an existing fire alarm control 88
panel in an existing commercial, residential, apartment, 89
cooperative, or condominium building. 90
(2)(a) A local enforcement agency may require a 91
contractor, as a condition of obtaining a permit for a fire 92
alarm system project, to submit a completed application and 93
payment. 94
(b) A local enforcement agency may not require a 95
contractor to submit plans or specifications as a condition of 96
obtaining a permit for a fire alarm system project. 97
(3) A local enforcement agency must issue a permit for a 98
fire alarm system project in person or electro nically. 99
(4) A local enforcement agency must require at least one 100
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F L O R I D A H O U S E O F R E P R E S E N T A T I V E S
inspection of a fire alarm system project to ensure compliance 101
with applicable codes and standards. If a fire alarm system 102
project fails an inspection, the contractor must take corrective 103
action as necessary to pass inspection. 104
(5) A contractor must keep a copy of the plans and 105
specifications at a fire alarm system project worksite and make 106
such plans and specifications available to the inspector at each 107
inspection. 108
Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2022. 109