BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 1698
85R19829 BEE-F	By: Kuempel (Estes)
	Business & Commerce
	5/16/2017
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Interested parties note that certain industrial facilities require licensed journeyman electricians to supervise apprentices but that the requirements for obtaining such a license call for proficiency in certain material that is irrelevant to industrial work. H.B. 1698 seeks to address this issue by providing a journeyman license category for industrial settings.

H.B. 1698 amends current law relating to the licensing and regulation of a journeyman industrial electrician.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority previously granted to the executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation is transferred to the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation in SECTION 2 (Section 1305.102, Occupations Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 1305.002, Occupations Code, by adding Subdivision (11-b), to define "journeyman industrial electrician."

SECTION 2. Amends Section 1305.102(a), Occupations Code, to require the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation (TCLR), rather than the executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, to adopt rules for the licensing of certain individuals, including journeyman industrial electricians, as prescribed by this chapter (Electricians).

SECTION 3. Amends Subchapter D, Chapter 1305, Occupations Code, by adding Section 1305.1601, as follows:

Sec. 1305.1601. JOURNEYMAN INDUSTRIAL ELECTRICIAN. Requires an applicant for a license as a journeyman industrial electrician to have at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training as a licensed electrical apprentice under the supervision of a master electrician and pass a journeyman industrial electrician examination administered under this chapter.

SECTION 4. Amends Section 1305.162, Occupations Code, by adding Subsection (e), to authorize an examination required for a license as a journeyman industrial electrician under Section 1305.1601, notwithstanding Subsection (b) (relating to examination administration and content), to only test an applicant regarding activities performed by a journeyman industrial electrician at a location described by Section 1305.002 (11-b).

SECTION 5. Amends Section 1305.168(a), Occupations Code, to require a license holder to complete four hours of continuing education annually to renew certain licenses, including a journeyman industrial electrician license.

SECTION 6. Requires TCLR, not later than September 1, 2018, to adopt rules as required by Section 1305.102, Occupations Code, as amended by this Act.

SECTION 7. Effective date: September 1, 2017.