260 R.I. Code R. 260-RICR-30-15-11.4

Current through November 7, 2024

Section 260-RICR-30-15-11.4 - Administration

A. Application for Licensure

1. Applicants must comply with the requirements in R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-70-10.

2. Pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-70-10(f), applicants filing for licenses must be at least eighteen (18) years of age. Applications are to be made by an individual applicant filing for the license and category(ies) sought.

3. Applications for examination must be received by the Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulation at least fifteen (15) working days prior to the examination date.

4. Pursuant to R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-70-5(1)(ii), out-of-state applicants who hold an equivalent license, as determined by this board, issued by another state will be allowed to take the Rhode Island examination. Out of state applicants for TSC who hold no equivalent of TSC license issued by another state and show sworn evidence of three (3) years of verifiable and continuous experience will be allowed to take the Rhode Island TSC license examination.

5. Applicants who apply under the initial or deregulation grandfathering provisions of R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-70-13(a), and who provide evidence of ten (10) years or more of verifiable telecommunications experience covering experience in each category applied for shall be considered as an equivalent to submitting a statement showing three (3) verifiable projects per category and may apply for a TSC license.

a. Persons who are employed by firms or corporations regulated by the Public Utilities Commission; who are retired or terminated prior to and/or as a result of deregulations, may apply for licenses under the Grandfather terms under R.I. Gen. Laws § 5-70-13(c). Persons who apply pursuant to this paragraph, to qualify for grandfathering, must do so within six (6) months of the date of separation from said firm or corporation.

6. Applicants who otherwise qualify under the provisions of rules and regulations may apply for certification as TSC without company affiliation- or while employed by a company that has a TSC license that is held by some other person.

B. Examination

1. Forms

a. The Board will provide or approve the necessary examination forms to the Department of Labor and Training, Division of Professional Regulation for each license form and category. Said examination forms will be individually numbered with a unique identification number. The examination forms will be kept in a securely locked storage compartment except when in use during an examination session.

2. Procedure

a. All examinations shall be conducted and completed in writing and may include written and/or practical demonstrations, and the provisions shall be based on a list of standards, publications and/or texts that is authorized by this board.

b. All answers to written examination questions will be in ink, unless otherwise specified by the Board. Any person found referring to notes or books during an examination, will be disqualified from that examination.

c. In accordance with R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-70, applicants for examination will be required to obtain an average numerical score of at least seventy percent (70%) in order to obtain a license. In addition, applicants for examination will be required to obtain an average numerical score of at least sixty percent (60%) in order to review said examination with the Board.

d. Only those applicants approved to take the examination will be admitted.

e. Cover sheet will be attached to the examination form when presented to the applicant/examinee.

f. Examination forms and attached cover sheets will individually numbered at the conclusion of the exam with a unique corresponding number.

g. Completed examination forms will be presented to the Board for grading with the unique number assigned stamped on each.

h. Completed examinations will not be presented to the Board with the applicant/examinee's name in evidence or in any other manner divulged to the Board prior to grading.

i. DLT will, after grading by the Board, match the cover sheets with the corresponding completed examination.

j. DLT will then make notification to the applicant/examinee, on behalf of the Board, by mail and/or electronically of their result in the following manner:

(1) Pass.

(2) Fail with right to request review (between 60 - 70%)

(3) Fail

k. Reviews must be requested by the applicant/examinee, by phone or in writing, and will be conducted by the Board in the same manner that the tests are scored.

l. The applicant/examinee may be in attendance.

m. The applicant/examinee requesting the review will not be identified to the Board prior to the review proceedings.

n. Official answers to questions that are found to be faulty during the review process shall be discounted for that examination session.

o. Such questions and their answers shall be eliminated or corrected in the official files for future exams.

p. Applicants/examinees who fail may re-apply to take the test at the next session.

q. Persons, firms or corporations aggrieved by a decision of the Board on any questions relative to examinations may petition for a hearing before the Board. Request for such a hearing must be made in writing to the Secretary of the Board within thirty (30) days of notice of such decision.

C. Notifications

1. Notice of the time and place of examinations will be mailed to each applicant.

2. Notice of results of examinations, as noted above, will be mailed to each applicant taking the examination.

D. Renewals

1. All licenses and/or certificates issued by the Board shall be renewable on the birth month of the licensee.

2. Application for renewal of license must be made thirty (30) days prior to the expiration date, which shall be the last day of the licensee's birth month, to remain in effect.

3. A license and/or certificate shall not be renewable if a penalty and/or fine is outstanding with the Board, until such time as restitution has been made.

4. A License in a lapsed state may be renewed without the requirement to submit to re-examination if application is made prior to the expiration of two years from date of expiration, provided the applicant makes the necessary payment of the fees calculated from the date of expiration, including the late charge required by this Board as noted under fees.

5. An individual wishing to reinstate a license that has lapsed for a period just short of two years would be assessed the full license fee for that two year period plus a penalty as determined by the board under fees.

6. Form TSC license and firm or corporation certificate shall be renewable concurrently on the birth month of the individual holding the TSC license under which the business is operating.

7. In the case of military service personnel who are licensees prior to their entry into active military service, shall have their licenses renewed without further examination provided, however, they file for renewal within four (4) months of their release from active duty and upon payment of the prescribed fee. Said individual will not be assessed any late fees.

8. Applications for renewal of form TSC licenses and certificates, in the case of firms or certificates, shall be signed by the same individual originally granted the license or passed the examination by which such firm or corporation was authorized, or reauthorized, to enter upon or engage in business as provided in R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-70.

E. Duplicate license/certificate

1. In the event that a license, registration or certificate issued under the provisions of R.I. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-70 is lost, stolen or destroyed, the person to whom the same was issued may make application for and, upon payment of the required fee, obtain a duplicate license, registration or certificate, upon furnishing proof satisfactory to the board that such has been lost, stolen or destroyed.

2. Such duplicate license, registration or certificate will be clearly marked that it is a duplicate.

260 R.I. Code R. 260-RICR-30-15-11.4