Arizona Bill Drops Communications Tax; Gives Licensing Board More Leeway
Arizona House Bill 2546 has two main parts that affect alarm companies conducting business in the state
Arizona House Bill 2546 has two main parts that affect alarm companies conducting business in the state, and the bill, signed into law on April 23, 2014, could have national significance as other states look on to see the results. Firstly, the Board of Technical Registration (BTR), which provides licenses to alarm company employees and contractors, will be given more discretion on allowing or denying licenses based on a person’s background and criminal history. Before the bill, BTR was required to deny a license based on a list of convictions and offenses regardless of time period, noted Roger D. Score, president of Arizona Alarm Dealers Association and owner of Tucson Alarm Company.
“This allows the Board to make decisions based on ‘good moral character and moral perpitude,’” explained Maria Malice, president of the Arizona Alarm Association and vice president of special projects for COPS Monitoring in the Scottsdale, Ariz., location. For example, according to Malice, if a contractor broke the law decades ago but has no further blemishes on his record, the licensing board can use its discretion on whether it would grant a license.