By Uher                                               H.B. No. 1339
                                 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
    1-1                                AN ACT
    1-2  relating to the licensing of plumbing inspectors.
    1-3        BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
    1-4        SECTION 1.  Article 6243-101, V.T.C.S., Section 2(B)(5), is
    1-5  amended to read as follows:
    1-6              (5)  "Plumbing Inspector" means any person employed by
    1-7  a political subdivision for the purpose of inspecting plumbing work
    1-8  and installations in connection with health and safety laws and
    1-9  ordinances, who has no financial or advisory interests in any
   1-10  plumbing company, and who has successfully fulfilled the
   1-11  qualification and examination <examinations and> requirements of
   1-12  the Board.
   1-13        SECTION 2.  Article 6243-101, V.T.C.S., Section 8, is amended
   1-14  by adding new subsections (e) and (f) to read as follows:
   1-15        (e)  The qualification and examination requirements for a
   1-16  plumbing inspector shall be limited to a requirement that the
   1-17  inspector is a high school graduate or the holder of a high school
   1-18  equivalency credential based upon the General Educational
   1-19  Development (G.E.D.) Test and has passed an examination
   1-20  administered by any of the following agencies:
   1-21              (1)  the Board;
   1-22              (2)  the Building Officials Code Administrators (BOCA);
   1-23              (3)  The International Association of Plumbing and
    2-1  Mechanical Officials (IAPMO);
    2-2              (4)  The International Conference of Building Officials
    2-3  (ICBO);
    2-4              (5)  the Southern Building Code Congress International
    2-5  (SBCCI); or
    2-6              (6)  a successor to any of these agencies.
    2-7        (f)  A plumbing inspector's license shall be renewed if the
    2-8  applicant has obtained at least six hours of continuing education
    2-9  units through a course administered by:
   2-10              (1)  the Board, BOCA, IAPMO, ICBO, SBCCI, or a
   2-11  successor to any of these agencies;
   2-12              (2)  a state-accredited college or university that
   2-13  offers courses in plumbing codes and plumbing inspection practices
   2-14  and techniques; or
   2-15              (3)  an individual, business, or association that has
   2-16  obtained approval from the Board to provide training in plumbing
   2-17  codes and plumbing inspection practices.
   2-18        SECTION 3.  The importance of this legislation and the
   2-19  crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an
   2-20  emergency and an imperative public necessity that the
   2-21  constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several
   2-22  days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.