BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1466
88R4545 RDS-D	By: Clardy; Garcia (Johnson)
	Business & Commerce
	5/15/2023
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

The Insurance Code authorizes the commissioner of insurance (commissioner) to adopt continuing education programs for fire alarm technicians licensed by the state through the state fire marshal. The programs, however, are voluntary, meaning the state does not have the ability to gauge whether licensed technicians have a proper level of education.

H.B. 1466 seeks to address these concerns by removing the provision making participation in a continuing education program for licensed fire alarm technicians, residential fire alarm technicians, residential fire alarm superintendents, or fire alarm planning superintendents voluntary. The bill would allow the commissioner to require fire alarm technicians to take up to eight hours of continuing education annually.

Key Provisions:

• Authorizes the commissioner to require continuing education programs for fire alarm technicians.
• Prohibits the commissioner from requiring more than eight hours of continuing education for fire alarm technicians during any relicense period. 
• Maintains the commissioner's current authority to determine whether to certify continuing education programs and to adopt procedures for doing so.

H.B. 1466 amends current law relating to the regulation of certain continuing education programs.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority previously granted to the commissioner of insurance is modified in SECTION 1 (Section 6002.159, Insurance Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 6002.159, Insurance Code, by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (c), as follows:

(b) Prohibits the commissioner of insurance (commissioner) from adopting a rule that excludes or devalues a signed or otherwise substantially verifiable certificate of training that is:

(1) applicable to the areas of work authorized by the relevant license; and

(2) issued by a training program or school that is:

(A) nationally recognized; or

(B) authorized under the Occupations Code or Education Code.

(c) Prohibits the commissioner from adopting a rule that requires more than eight hours of continuing education for any license renewal period, rather than providing that participation in the continuing education programs is voluntary.

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2023.