BILL ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1698

By: Kuempel

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Committee Report (Substituted)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

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. C.S.H.B. 1698 seeks to address this issue by providing a journeyman license category for industrial settings.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

C.S.H.B. 1698 amends the Occupations Code to require an applicant for a license as a journeyman industrial electrician, defined by the bill as an individual who engages in electrical work exclusively at a business that operates a chemical plant, petrochemical plant, refinery, natural gas plant, natural gas treating plant, pipeline, or oil and gas exploration and production operation, 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 to pass a journeyman industrial electrician examination administered under the Texas Electrical Safety and Licensing Act. The bill limits the scope of an examination required for a license as a journeyman industrial electrician to testing an applicant for that license regarding activities performed by a journeyman industrial electrician at locations at which such an electrician engages in electrical work. The bill includes a journeyman industrial electrician among the occupations for which a license holder must complete four hours of continuing education annually for license renewal. The bill transfers the rulemaking authority of the executive director of the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation regarding the licensing of electrician-related occupations to the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation and includes journeyman industrial electricians among the occupations for which the commission is required to adopt rules. The bill requires the commission to adopt such rules not later than September 1, 2018.

EFFECTIVE DATE

September 1, 2017.

COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL AND SUBSTITUTE

While C.S.H.B. 1698 may differ from the original in minor or nonsubstantive ways, the following comparison is organized and formatted in a manner that indicates the substantial differences between the introduced and committee substitute versions of the bill.

INTRODUCED	HOUSE COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
SECTION 1.  Section 1305.002, Occupations Code, is amended.	SECTION 1. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 2.  Section 1305.102(a), Occupations Code, is amended.	SECTION 2. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 3.  Subchapter D, Chapter 1305, Occupations Code, is amended by adding Section 1305.1601 to read as follows: Sec. 1305.1601.  JOURNEYMAN INDUSTRIAL ELECTRICIAN.  An applicant for a license as a journeyman industrial electrician must: (1)  have at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training under the supervision of a master electrician; and (2)  complete a certification program approved by the commission.	SECTION 3.  Subchapter D, Chapter 1305, Occupations Code, is amended by adding Section 1305.1601 to read as follows: Sec. 1305.1601.  JOURNEYMAN INDUSTRIAL ELECTRICIAN.  An applicant for a license as a journeyman industrial electrician must: (1)  have at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training as a licensed electrical apprentice under the supervision of a master electrician; and (2)  pass a journeyman industrial electrician examination administered under this chapter.
No equivalent provision.	SECTION 4.  Section 1305.162, Occupations Code, is amended by adding Subsection (e) to read as follows: (e)  Notwithstanding Subsection (b), an examination required for a license as a journeyman industrial electrician under Section 1305.1601 may only test an applicant regarding activities performed by a journeyman industrial electrician at a location described by Section 1305.002(11-b).
SECTION 4.  Section 1305.168(a), Occupations Code, is amended.	SECTION 5. Same as introduced version.
SECTION 5.  Not later than January 1, 2018, the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation shall adopt rules as required by Section 1305.102, Occupations Code, as amended by this Act.	SECTION 6.  Not later than September 1, 2018, the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation shall adopt rules as required by Section 1305.102, Occupations Code, as amended by this Act.
SECTION 6.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.	SECTION 7. Same as introduced version.