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SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2246 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 192
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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PRESENTED BY:
Nick Collins
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To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying bill:
An Act relative to refrigeration and pipefitting licensure.
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PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :Nick CollinsFirst Suffolk 1 of 2
SENATE DOCKET, NO. 2246 FILED ON: 1/17/2025
SENATE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 192
By Mr. Collins, a petition (accompanied by bill, Senate, No. 192) of Nick Collins for legislation
to adopt regulations for the licensing of pipefitters and refrigeration technicians. Consumer
Protection and Professional Licensure.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
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In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
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An Act relative to refrigeration and pipefitting licensure.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court assembled, and by the authority
of the same, as follows:
1 SECTION 1. Section 81 of Chapter 146 of the General Laws, as appearing in the 2018
2Official Edition, is hereby amended by inserting after the definition of ''Fire protection sprinkler
3system contractor'' the following definitions:
4 “Geothermal heat pump”, also referred to as “earth-coupled heat pump” or “ground-
5source heat pump”, a heating and cooling system that utilizes ground temperatures to heat and
6cool buildings.
7 “Hydrogen system”, a heating or cooling system and the components thereof consisting
8of one or more of the following: hydrogen production, hydrogen transportation/storage,
9hydrogen utilization.
10 Said Section 81 is further amended after the definition of ''Master refrigeration
11technician'' the following definition: 2 of 2
12 Microreactor”, a factory-fabricated, transportable, and self-adjusting device in which
13nuclear fission initiates a controlled chain reaction, producing heat energy.
14 Said Section 81 is further amended by inserting after the word “processes” in the
15definition of ''Pipefitting'', the following words:- “ geothermal heat pumps, hydrogen systems,
16microreactors, small modular reactors”.
17 Said Section 81 is further amended by inserting after the definition of “Registered”, the
18following definitions:-
19 “Residential/Light Commercial Refrigeration”, the installation, repair, replacement,
20maintenance of any refrigerant containing part of any refrigerant system of less than ten ton
21capacity.
22 “Small modular reactor”, an advanced nuclear reactor that has a power capacity of up to
23300 MW(e) per unit.
24 SECTION 2. Said Chapter 146 is hereby further amended by inserting after section 82,
25the following new section:-
26 Section 82A. The bureau shall adopt regulations for the examining and licensing of
27refrigeration technicians working on residential or light commercial refrigeration systems of less
28than ten tons. Licensing fees collected shall be placed in a retained revenue account to hire
29qualified inspectors to enforce the provisions of this section.
30 SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon its passage.