Send your news items to Raiford Ball
The Tennessee General Assembly has just passed two bills that modify our licensing law: SB 3644/HB3923 as amended and SB3851/HB3812 as amended. The first requires:
1. Locksmith companies and locksmiths must " conduct business from a permament verifiable geographic location in compliance with the unfair or deceptive practices act;" and
2. Violation of the licensing act is a Class B misdemeanor (a police officer can make an arrest) and also carries a civil penalty.
Deleted from the final bill were:
1. Limiting renewal of apprentice licenses to only once; and
2. Creating the registered employee license.
The second makes changes wanted by the Department of Commerce and Insurance. Most importantly, it makes it illegal to use variants of locksmith, locksmith company, or locksmith apprentice. This would make it illegal to try to deceive the public by not saying that a person is a locksmith, but implying it.
Strenghtening enforcement and penalties still needs to be worked on. Plans are being made by the legislative committee to work with our lobbyist for the next session. The Legislative Committee will keep you informed.
The Attorney General has recently issued an opinion on three questions:
1. Are state and local governmental employees performing locksmithing services for the general public subject to licensing? Answer, yes.
2. Are businesses and their employees that only provide vehicle opening services and no other locksmithing services exempt from licensing? Answer, yes.
3. May such buinesses exempt in question 2 buy locksmithing tools to use in their services? Answer, yes.
The proposed amendments to the By Laws were approved at the Annual Meeting March 20. They took effect immediately.
Adobe Acrobat Reader is required to open the ByLaws file.
Read or download the revised By Laws here.
Following a unanimous vote by the membership and board, TOOL member dues have increased from $55 to $100 annually, with $50 going to the legislative fund, and $50 going towards dues. This was voted in after the news came that the legislative fund had been depleted.
Lifetime TOOL memberships are available.
The Department of Commerce and Insurance (CID) has begun sending out renewal notices for everyone licensed in 2008. Locksmiths and apprentices should receive their notices about 60 days prior to the expiration date of their license. Any locksmith or apprentice licensed after 2008 will not receive notices now, but will receive them at the end of their two year period.
© 2010 by T.O.O.L.