83R7083 NC-F

By: Kuempel H.B. No. 1503

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the appointment of building contractors to certain trade advisory boards of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 1302.201, Occupations Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 1302.201. ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERSHIP. The air conditioning and refrigeration contractors advisory board consists of nine [seven] members appointed by the presiding officer of the commission, with the commission's approval, and two ex officio nonvoting members. One member of the advisory board must be a public member.

SECTION 2. Section 1302.202(a), Occupations Code, is amended to read as follows:

(a) Except for the public member and the building contractor members, each appointed advisory board member must be experienced in the design, installation, construction, maintenance, service, repair, or modification of equipment used for environmental air conditioning, commercial refrigeration, or process cooling or heating. Other than the public member, of the appointed members:

(1) one must be an official of a municipality with a population of more than 250,000;

(2) one must be an official of a municipality with a population of not more than 250,000; [and]

(3) four must be full-time licensed air conditioning and refrigeration contractors, as follows:

(A) one member who holds a Class A license and practices in a municipality with a population of more than 250,000;

(B) one member who holds a Class B license and practices in a municipality with a population of more than 250,000;

(C) one member who holds a Class A license and practices in a municipality with a population of more than 25,000 but not more than 250,000; and

(D) one member who holds a Class B license and practices in a municipality with a population of not more than 25,000; and

(4) two must be building contractors, as follows:

(A) one member who is principally engaged in home construction; and

(B) one member who is principally engaged in commercial construction.

SECTION 3. Sections 1305.051(a) and (b), Occupations Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) The advisory board consists of eleven [nine] members appointed by the presiding officer of the commission with the approval of the commission as follows:

(1) three master electrician members;

(2) three journeyman electrician members; [and]

(3) three public members; and

(4) two building contractors, as follows:

(A) one member who is principally engaged in home construction; and

(B) one member who is principally engaged in commercial construction.

(b) The advisory board members must include:

(1) two members who are affiliated with a statewide association of electrical contractors not affiliated with a labor organization;

(2) three members who are affiliated with a labor organization;

(3) one member who is not affiliated with a statewide association of electrical contractors or with a labor organization; [and]

(4) one member who is affiliated with a historically underutilized business, as that term is defined by Section 2161.001, Government Code; and

(5) two members who are affiliated with a statewide association of building contractors.

SECTION 4. Not later than December 1, 2013, the presiding officer of the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation, with the commission's approval, shall appoint the additional board members described by Section 1302.202, Occupations Code, as amended by this Act, to the air conditioning and refrigeration contractors advisory board and by Section 1305.051, Occupations Code, as amended by this Act, to the electrical safety and licensing advisory board.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2013.