Chapter 558 Oregon Laws 1999

Session Law

 

AN ACT

 

SB 239

 

Relating to liquid petroleum gas regulation fees; amending ORS 480.432, 480.436, 480.440 and 480.450; and declaring an emergency.

 

Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:

 

      SECTION 1. ORS 480.436 is amended to read:

      480.436. (1) The annual fee for the LP gas installation license shall be [$55] $75, except when the LP gas operation is conducted by business firms located outside the state, in which case the annual fee shall be $220.

      (2) The [annual] biennial fee for an LP gas fitter license or an LP gas truck equipment license shall be [$5] $15.

      (3) All licenses shall be renewed on or before a date [each year] specified by the State Fire Marshal. Unless revoked or suspended by the State Fire Marshal for failure to comply with the provisions of ORS 480.410 to 480.460, [a] an LP gas installation license shall continue in force for one year from the date of issuance and shall not be transferable. An LP gas fitter license or an LP gas truck equipment license shall continue in force for two years from the date of issuance and shall not be transferable. The State Fire Marshal, by rule, may establish a system for staggered license expiration dates, which includes prorated fees for periods of less than one year for an LP gas installation license and less than two years for an LP gas fitter license or an LP gas truck equipment license.

      (4) If the fees provided for in this section are due and payable and are not paid within 30 days after service of written notice by the State Fire Marshal therefor, the fees shall be delinquent[;] and a penalty equal to [the amount of the fee hereby is] 10 percent of the amount of the license fee or $15, whichever is greater, shall be imposed for such delinquency.

      SECTION 2. ORS 480.440 is amended to read:

      480.440. An installation of storage tanks located at dealers' plants [and] shall be inspected annually. An installation of tanks used for delivery purposes [shall] may be inspected annually, at the discretion of the State Fire Marshal. The State Fire Marshal shall collect a fee of $57.50 for each such plant inspection and $24 for each such delivery unit inspection.

      SECTION 3. ORS 480.450 is amended to read:

      480.450. (1) The State Fire Marshal shall be notified prior to the last day of each month by the installer of all new installations made during the preceding month of containers or receptacles for liquid petroleum gas, including installations for private homes and apartments. The installer shall certify on a form provided by the State Fire Marshal that all such new installations are duly and properly reported. The State Fire Marshal may require that the notification include the location and description of the installation and the name of the user. All fees due and payable shall accompany the notification. The replacement of empty containers or receptacles with other containers constructed in accordance with Interstate Commerce Commission specifications shall not be considered such new installation or change in the original installation as to require notification to the State Fire Marshal or necessitate further inspection of the installation. The State Fire Marshal shall collect from the installer an installation fee of [$14] $24 for [an installation of a tank of more than 1,000 gallons capacity and $8 for an installation of a tank with a capacity of 1,000 gallons or less] each tank installed or for all tanks at the installation if the total combined capacity is 200 gallons or less. The State Fire Marshal or deputies of the fire marshal or assistants shall inspect a reasonable number of such installations and maintain a record of these inspections in the office of the State Fire Marshal.

      (2) After the initial installation, liquid petroleum gas containers may be inspected once every 10 years except when changes have been made in the original installation. The State Fire Marshal shall be notified of such changes in the same manner provided in this section for new installations. The State Fire Marshal shall collect from the owner a fee of [$14] $24 for the inspection of each container. The manner of inspection, requirement of corrections, satisfaction of such requirements and collection of fees due and payable shall be in conformity with the provisions of ORS 480.410 to 480.460 for new installations. LP gas installation licensees shall furnish a list of the locations of 10-year old installations which they service upon request of the State Fire Marshal.

      (3) When, upon inspection of any tank, the new installation does not comply with the requirements of the State Fire Marshal, the State Fire Marshal shall instruct the installer as to what corrections are necessary for compliance with the State Fire Marshal's requirements. The installer of the new installation shall, within the time set by the State Fire Marshal which in no case shall be more than 60 days after notification, notify the State Fire Marshal that the new installation complies with the requirements of the fire marshal. If the installer so fails to notify the State Fire Marshal, or the State Fire Marshal has reason to believe that the corrections have not been made, the State Fire Marshal shall reinspect the new installation and shall collect from the installer an additional fee of [$10] $24. The installer shall not be held responsible for the payment of such additional fee resulting from actions of the user which require correction to achieve compliance with the requirements of the State Fire Marshal. In such a case the user shall pay the additional fee.

      (4) No person, after notice from the State Fire Marshal, shall fail to correct any improper installation within the time set by the State Fire Marshal which in no case shall be more than 60 days after receiving such notice.

      (5) If the fees provided for in this section are due and payable and are not paid within 30 days after service of written notice by the State Fire Marshal therefor, or if the installer fails to notify the State Fire Marshal by the last day of the month succeeding the month a new installation is made or a change is made requiring an inspection, the fees shall be delinquent[;] and a penalty equal to [the amount of the fee hereby is] 10 percent of the amount of the fees or $15, whichever is greater, shall be imposed for such delinquency. All fees and penalties shall be collected by the State Fire Marshal in the name of the State of Oregon in the same manner that other debts are collected.

      (6) The provisions of this section shall not apply to liquid petroleum gas installations made entirely within the jurisdiction of a governmental subdivision granted the exemption provided by ORS 476.030 (3) and when written evidence of the licensing of such installation by the approved authority is submitted to the State Fire Marshal. The provisions of this section shall not apply to LP gas installations when made in manufactured dwellings or recreational vehicles that are constructed or altered in accordance with applicable rules of the Department of Consumer and Business Services.

      SECTION 4. ORS 480.432 is amended to read:

      480.432. (1) No person shall engage in or work at the business of installing, extending, altering or repairing any LP gas appliance or piping, vent or flue connection pertaining to or in connection with LP gas installations within the state, either as employer or individual, unless such person has received an LP gas installation license from the State Fire Marshal in accordance with ORS 480.410 to 480.460.

      (2) No person shall do any LP gas fitting or gas venting work, install, repair or remodel any piping or venting nor any installation, repair service, connection or disconnection of any LP gas appliance which is subject to inspection under ORS 480.410 to 480.460 unless the person has received an LP gas fitter license from the State Fire Marshal in accordance with ORS 480.410 to 480.460.

      (3) No person shall operate any LP gas delivery equipment installed on a motorized vehicle unless the person has received an LP gas truck equipment license from the State Fire Marshal in accordance with ORS 480.410 to 480.460.

      (4) Any person under the terms of this section who is required to have an LP gas fitter or LP gas truck equipment license is also required to have an LP gas installation license, unless the person is an employee of an employer who has an LP gas installation license as provided by this section.

      (5) The provisions of this section shall not apply to LP gas installations in a manufactured dwelling or recreational vehicle performed during the construction of the manufactured dwelling or recreational vehicle, or the alteration or repair of an LP gas installation in a manufactured dwelling or recreational vehicle made pursuant to the manufacturer's warranty.

      SECTION 5. This 1999 Act being necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is declared to exist, and this 1999 Act takes effect on its passage.

 

Approved by the Governor July 8, 1999

 

Filed in the office of Secretary of State July 8, 1999

 

Effective date July 8, 1999

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