| H.B. No. 1758 | ||
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| relating to the requirements for a plumber's apprentice to obtain a | ||
| plumber's license. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 1301.354, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
| by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (c), (d), and (e) | ||
| to read as follows: | ||
| (b) A person who has worked as a plumber's apprentice for a | ||
| period established by law or board rule may apply to [ |
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| an examination for a license as a journeyman plumber or tradesman | ||
| plumber-limited license holder. Before the applicant may take the | ||
| examination, the applicant must complete classroom training | ||
| provided by a board-approved instructor in a board-approved | ||
| training program in the areas of health and safety, applicable | ||
| plumbing codes, and water conservation for at least: | ||
| (1) 24 hours if the applicant is applying to take a | ||
| tradesman plumber-limited license holder examination; or | ||
| (2) 48 hours if the applicant is applying to take a | ||
| journeyman plumber examination. | ||
| (c) At the applicant's request, the board may credit an | ||
| applicant under Subsection (b) with up to 500 hours of the work | ||
| experience required before taking an examination if the applicant | ||
| has completed the classroom portion of a training program: | ||
| (1) approved by the United States Department of Labor, | ||
| Office of Apprenticeship; or | ||
| (2) provided by a person approved by the board and | ||
| based on course materials approved by the board. | ||
| (d) Notwithstanding the classroom training required by | ||
| Subsection (b), a plumber's apprentice may apply for and take an | ||
| examination for a license as a journeyman plumber or tradesman | ||
| plumber-limited license holder if the apprentice has received an | ||
| associate of applied science degree from a plumbing technology | ||
| program that: | ||
| (1) includes a combination of classroom and on-the-job | ||
| training; and | ||
| (2) is approved by the board and the Texas Higher | ||
| Education Coordinating Board. | ||
| (e) Notwithstanding Subsection (b), a plumber's apprentice | ||
| who is enrolled in good standing in a training program approved by | ||
| the United States Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship, | ||
| may take an examination without completing the classroom training | ||
| required by Subsection (b)(1) or (2). | ||
| SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to | ||
| an application to take an examination submitted to the Texas State | ||
| Board of Plumbing Examiners on or after the effective date of this | ||
| Act. An application submitted before the effective date of this Act | ||
| is governed by the law in effect on the date the application is | ||
| submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for that | ||
| purpose. | ||
| SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2009. | ||
| ______________________________ | ______________________________ | |
| President of the Senate | Speaker of the House | |
| I certify that H.B. No. 1758 was passed by the House on March | ||
| 31, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 147, Nays 0, 2 present, not | ||
| voting. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
| I certify that H.B. No. 1758 was passed by the Senate on May | ||
| 14, 2009, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Secretary of the Senate | ||
| APPROVED: _____________________ | ||
| Date | ||
| _____________________ | ||
| Governor | ||