BILL ANALYSIS
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Senate Research Center |
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AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT
Interested parties explain that the original intent of recently enacted legislation creating a journeyman lineman license is being lost in the interpretation of the law and that this interpretation means that certain lineman work has been unintentionally excluded from the scope of the work covered by the license. The parties explain that legislation is needed to clarify current law relating to the licensing and regulation of a journeyman lineman as well as matters relating to the journeyman lineman examination. H.B. 3043 seeks to address these issues.
H.B. 3043 amends current law relating to the licensing and regulation of a journeyman lineman.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation in SECTION 5 of this bill.
SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 1305.002(12), Occupations Code, to redefine "journeyman lineman."
SECTION 2. Amends Section 1305.101(a), Occupations Code, as follows:
(a) Requires the executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) or the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation (TCLR), as appropriate, to:
(1) by rule establish the financial responsibility requirements for electrical contractors;
(2) after publication of the National Electrical Code by the National Fire Protection Association every three years, adopt the revised National Electrical Code as the electrical code for the state; and
(3) after the publication of the National Electrical Safety Code by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers every five years, adopt the revised National Electrical Safety Code for purposes of Section 1305.162(e).
SECTION 3. Amends Section 1305.162, Occupations Code, by adding Subsection (e), as follows:
(e) Requires TDLR, in addition to the other requirements of this section, to accept, develop, or contract for a journeyman lineman examination that tests an applicant's knowledge of:
(1) materials and methods used in the installation, maintenance, and operation of equipment associated with the transmission and distribution of electricity from the electricity's original source to a substation and from a substation to the point where the electricity enters a building or structure on a customer's premises for further distribution; and
(2) the standards prescribed by the National Electrical Safety Code as adopted by TCLR.
SECTION 4. Provides that Section 1305.162(e), Occupations Code, as added by this Act, applies only to an examination for a journeyman lineman license administered on or after June 1, 2016. Makes application of this Act prospective to June 1, 2016.
SECTION 5. Requires TCLR, not later than March 1, 2016, to adopt rules necessary to implement Sections 1305.101(a)(3) and 1305.162(e), Occupations Code, as added by this Act.
SECTION 6. Effective date: September 1, 2015.