GOVERNOR DESANTIS:

HB 735- Preemption of Local Occupational Licensing; Preempts licensing of occupations to state; prohibits local governments from imposing or modifying licensing requirements; specifies certain local licensing may not be enforced; specifies certain specialty contractors are not required to register with Construction Industry Licensing Board; prohibits local governments from requiring certain specialty contractors to obtain license; specifies job scopes for which local government may not require license; authorizes counties & municipalities to issue journeyman licenses.

The passing of the bill affected many small businesses in Florida.  In Pinellas County alone, many small business owners are in jeopardy of losing their businesses.  The passing of this bill caused the Pinellas County Licensing Board to no longer issue licenses for:

Awning Specialty, Cabinet Specialty, Carpentry Specialty, Fence Erection Specialty, Finish Carpentry Specialty, Flatwork Masonry Specialty, Garage Door Specialty, Natural Gas Contractor, Non-Electric Sign Spec Contractor, Painting Specialty, Paving Specialty, Pile Driving Specialty, Marine Specialty Contractor, Plaster, Stucco, Lath, Shutter/Open Protection Specialty, Structural Masonry, Structural Steel Specialty, Tile & Marble Specialty, Veneer Specialty and more!

Each of these specialty licenses provide hundreds of Florida businesses that will be closed due to not being able to pull permits!  Imagine how devastating this will be to all of the owners of the companies and their workers!  Their livelihoods are at jeopardy!

There are many companies that have been in business for decades that will not be able to pull permits next year due to this bill passing. These contractors have studied relentlessly, passed state exams and opened businesses that serve their community.  These contractors studied these exams that were given on a state level and were required to complete continuing education every two years just as general contractors have.  All of this money spent towards licensing, education and opening up businesses is all for nothing now?  This does not seem ethical or legal to take licenses/permitting abilities away from businesses that earned their certificate of competency.  This bill is putting many jobs in jeopardy and almost all concrete companies in Pinellas County will no longer be able to serve their customers by pulling permits.  This will affect many of the employees working at these businesses as well as the workload will be significantly reduced which will increase unemployment rates.  At least 90 companies in flatwork masonry specialty contracting were impacted by this bill just in Pinellas County.  We are in desperate need of change to either overturn this bill or grandfather in the previous businesses prior to the passing of the bill.

Notification of this bill was NEVER presented to the contractors affected and none of the contractors even knew their livelihoods were at stake!  The contractors affected did not even have a chance to fight this House Bill!  

According to the PCCLB, Flatwork Masonry Specialty Est. 5/16/1989 32 License no longer required unless work requires a permit. Permitted work requires General, Building or Residential Contractor license/registration.

Homeowners should also be outraged that they have to hire general contractors to complete this type of work to their homes.  This will raise the cost of the services and will lead to increased unlicensed/unqualified work completed.  

We are asking that those with their certificates of competency issued by the PCCLB currently are able to be grandfathered in to pull permits on a local level OR for flatwork masonry specialty contractors and all licenses affected to be able to file for a state specialty license (Currently all categories affected are not offered as a state specialty license).  They should allow for those currently holding certificates of competency to continue with their ability to pull permits in their local counties. This is detrimental to the local businesses in our county. 

Please sign the petition and share!

OVERTURN HOUSE BILL 735 AND SAVE OUR SMALL BUSINESSES!