(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, any person installing manufactured homes in this state on or after July 1, 2006, either shall hold a manufactured home installer’s license issued pursuant to this section or shall work under the supervision of a licensed installer. Each such license shall be valid for a term of three years and may be renewed. The fee for such license and for each renewal thereof shall be $300, which shall be paid to the corporation by the applicant. From and after July 1, 2006, the manufactured home installer’s license issued pursuant to this section shall be the only authority required for the installation of manufactured homes within this state. The manufactured home installer’s license shall entitle a licensed installer to install manufactured homes in this state, including the installation of heating and air conditioning systems and the hookup of electric, gas and water utilities from the utility meters to the manufactured home.

(b) On or after July 1, 2006, no municipality may impose any additional licensing requirements or require the payment of an additional or separate fee as a condition for the installation of a manufactured home within its boundaries by a licensed installer, except that nothing herein shall be construed as prohibiting a municipality from requiring a building permit as a condition precedent to the installation of a manufactured home and charging a fee in connection with such building permit, or prohibiting a municipality which provides for the inspection of manufactured homes installed in this state, from imposing a reasonable inspection fee.

(c) Nothing in this act shall be construed to require a person who installs a new or previously owned manufactured home on property owned by such person, for occupancy by such person, to obtain a manufactured home installer’s license. However, none of the rights, remedies or causes of action provided under Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 58-4217 to 58-4223, inclusive, and amendments thereto, shall be available to any such person.

(d) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (i), in order to obtain a manufactured home installer’s license, an applicant shall:

(1) Be at least 18 years of age;

(2) complete an installation training course approved by the president;

(3) submit an application for a license on a form prescribed and furnished by the corporation;

(4) submit with the license application the required license fee and an examination fee fixed by the corporation in an amount necessary to cover the costs of the examination, unless the examination fee is to be submitted directly to a person who administers an examination certified by the corporation, as provided in subsection (f) of this section;

(5) pass the examination specified in this section as being designed to test the skills necessary to properly install manufactured homes and to ascertain that the applicant has adequate knowledge of the laws applicable to manufactured home installation contracting;

(6) not have been found responsible in any administrative action by the division or corporation for any violation of the Kansas manufactured housing act or any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder;

(7) submit with the license application proof satisfactory to the president that, within the three years preceding the date the license application is submitted to the corporation, the applicant has not less than two-years experience as an installer, except that for an applicant submitting an application during calendar year 2007, at least one year of the applicant’s prior experience shall be as an apprentice installer; and for an applicant submitting an application thereafter, both years of the applicant’s prior experience shall be as an apprentice installer; and

(8) carry liability insurance in an amount determined by the corporation pursuant to duly adopted rules and regulations, but such liability insurance shall have limits of not less than $100,000, and such liability insurance must insure the licensed installer and any apprentice installer working under the supervision of the licensed installer.

(e) Except as otherwise provided in subsection (f), the corporation shall establish a standard examination for determining the competency of applicants to become licensed installers, based upon codes and standards in effect on the effective date of the installation standards under Kan. Stat. Ann. §§ 58-4218 and amendments thereto.

(f) In lieu of developing a standard examination pursuant to subsection (e), the president may certify one or more examinations developed by persons recognized in the industry either for testing persons to determine their qualifications to install manufactured homes, for having developed installation standards or for having provided courses or programs to educate installers regarding installation of manufactured homes in compliance with installation standards.

An applicant for a manufactured home installer’s license shall be furnished by the corporation with a list of the examinations which have been certified by the president pursuant to this subsection. The list shall include all of the information necessary to take each of the certified examinations, including the amount of the examination fee to be paid directly to the person administering the examination by the applicant for a manufactured home installer’s license. The applicant must successfully complete one of the certified examinations on the list.

(g) On and after July 1, 2006, a person engaged by a licensed installer to assist in the installation of a manufactured home, including an apprentice installer, at all times shall work under the supervision of a licensed installer. A licensed installer shall be present at the site where the manufactured home is being installed at such times as may be necessary for the licensed installer to ensure that the manufactured home is being installed in accordance with the installation standards. The licensed installer shall be responsible for all acts or omissions of apprentice installers and other persons working under the licensed installer’s supervision in the installation of a manufactured home.

(h) A person may obtain a license as an apprentice installer from the corporation. In order to obtain an apprentice installer’s license, an applicant:

(1) Must be at least 18 years of age;

(2) must complete an installation training course approved by the president;

(3) must submit an application for a license on a form prescribed and furnished by the corporation;

(4) must submit with the license application a license application fee in the amount of $75; and

(5) must not have been found responsible in any administrative action by the corporation for any violation of the Kansas manufactured housing act or any rules or regulations promulgated thereunder.

An apprentice installer’s license shall be valid for two years, but may be renewed upon application to the president on a form prescribed by the corporation and payment of a renewal license fee of $75.

(i) An applicant for a manufactured home installer’s license as a licensed installer shall not be required to take the examination required by this section in order to obtain a manufactured home installer’s license, if the president finds that all three of the following conditions apply: (1) The applicant is licensed as an installer by a municipality on the effective date of this act; (2) prior to July 1, 2006, the applicant had successfully completed an examination administered by any municipality that is designed to test the skills necessary to properly install manufactured homes; and (3) within the three years preceding the date the applicant submitted a license application to the corporation, the applicant had not less than two-years experience either as an installer licensed by any municipality or working under the supervision of an installer licensed by any municipality or as an apprentice installer working under the supervision of a licensed installer.

(j) On and after January 1, 2007, upon a specific written finding of good cause by the president the president may waive the requirement that some or all of an applicant’s prior experience be obtained as an apprentice installer.