(a)  The division of professional regulation with the assistance of the board shall promulgate rules and regulations for the examining and licensing of masters, journeypersons, and apprentices of the mechanical trades.

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(b)(1)  A state mechanical board is created in the department of labor and training whose duty it shall be to advise the division in its area of expertise in promulgating any policy that may be necessary to improve the operations of the division, and to hold license revocation and violations hearings as described in this chapter. The promulgation of policy shall be subject to the approval of the division.

(2)  The board shall consist of eleven (11) qualified electors of the state appointed by the governor as follows:

(i)  One member who shall be a master pipefitter at the time of appointment, having at least ten (10) years in business as a master pipefitter.

(ii)  One member who shall be a refrigeration/air conditioning master at the time of appointment, having at least ten (10) years in business as a refrigeration/air conditioning master.

(iii)  One member who has been employed as a pipefitter journeyperson for ten (10) years.

(iv)  One member who has been employed as a refrigeration/air conditioning journeyperson for ten (10) years.

(v)  One member who shall be a fire protection sprinkler master at the time of appointment, having at least ten (10) years in business as a fire protection sprinkler master.

(vi)  One member who has been employed as a journeyperson sprinkler fitter for ten (10) years.

(vii)  One member shall be the state fire marshal or his or her designee.

(viii)  Two (2) members to be appointed from a list submitted by the Oil Heat Institute, Inc. and who have been doing business as masters for at least ten (10) years.

(ix)  One member who shall be a sheet metal master at the time of appointment, having at least ten (10) years in business as a sheet metal master.

(x)  One member who has been employed as a journeyperson sheet metal worker for ten (10) years.

(3)  Members shall be appointed to serve for three (3) years and their successors shall be appointed for three (3) years.

(4)  On the expiration of the term of any master or journeyperson member of the board, the governor shall appoint for a term of three (3) years a master or journeyperson or member having the qualifications required by this chapter to take the place of the master or journeyperson whose term has expired.

(5)  Any vacancy that occurs for any cause shall be filled by appointment by the governor for the remainder of the unexpired term.

(6)  The board shall have an advisory role in the preparation and composition of the license examinations to be administered by the division. Subsequent to the administration of the examinations, the board of examiners shall review the examinations to evaluate their effectiveness.

(7)  A chairperson shall be elected every three (3) years from the members; a majority will constitute a quorum of the full board. The senior chief investigator for the division shall have both a master pipefitter I and master refrigeration I license, with a minimum of five (5) years’ employment in the state of Rhode Island as a journeyperson and five (5) years as a contractor. He or she shall be appointed by the licensing board and the position shall be in the classified service at not less than pay grade 335.

(8)  There shall be a chief investigator for the division who shall have both a master pipefitter and master refrigeration license, with a minimum of five (5) years’ employment in the state of Rhode Island as a journeyperson and five (5) years as a contractor. He or she shall be appointed by the director of labor and training, upon recommendation from the licensing board, and this position shall be in the classified service.