BILL ANALYSIS
Senate Research Center H.B. 1758
AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Currently, the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) issues licenses to tradesman, journeyman, and master plumbers and also registers apprentice plumbers. To sit for the examination required to receive a plumber's license, an apprentice plumber must demonstrate that he or she has 4,000 hours of work experience.
H.B. 1758 authorizes plumber's apprentice applicants for a plumber's license to apply up to 500 hours of classroom training as a credit towards the total number of hours of work experience required to sit for the tradesman or journeyman plumber's license examination. H.B. 1758 authorizes an apprentice to sit for the license examination if he or she has received an associate of applied science degree from a plumbing technology program that includes on-the-job training.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 1301.354, Occupations Code, by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsections (c), (d), and (e), as follows:
(b) Authorizes a person who has worked as a plumber's apprentice for a period established by law or Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) rule to apply to take, rather than apply for and take, an examination for a license as a journeyman plumber or tradesman plumber-limited license holder. Requires the applicant, before the applicant is authorized to take the examination, to complete classroom training provided by a TSBPE-approved instructor in a TSBPE-approved training program in the areas of health and safety, applicable plumbing codes, and water conservation for at least 24 hours if the applicant is applying to take a tradesman plumber-limited license holder examination or 48 hours if the applicant is applying to take a journeyman plumber examination.
(c) Authorizes TSBPE, at the applicant's request, to 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 approved by the United States Department of Labor, Office of Apprenticeship (office), or provided by a person approved by TSBPE and based on course materials approved by TSBPE.
(d) Authorizes a plumber's apprentice, notwithstanding the classroom training required by Subsection (b), to 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 includes a combination of classroom and on-the-job training and is approved by TSBPE and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
(e) Authorizes a plumber's apprentice who is enrolled in good standing in a training program approved by the office, notwithstanding Subsection (b), to take an examination without completing the classroom training required by Subsection (b)(1) or (2).
SECTION 2. Makes application of this Act prospective.
SECTION 3. Effective date: September 1, 2009.