BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 3049
85R9613 JCG-F	By: Guillen (Creighton)
	Business & Commerce
	5/9/2017
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

It has become increasingly difficult in recent years to recruit young men and women into the plumbing trade, but the demand for skilled, licensed plumbers in Texas remains steadfast. H.B. 3049 seeks to incentivize high school students to learn trade skills, including plumbing, by crediting applicants for certain plumbing licenses with hours of work experience for completing coursework in the construction trade offered through a career and technical education program.

H.B. 3049 amends Chapter 1301, Occupations Code, to authorize the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners to credit an applicant for a license as a journeyman plumber or tradesman plumber-limited license holder, at the applicant's request, with up to 250 hours of the work experience required before taking an examination for such a license if the applicant has completed a coherent sequence of courses in the construction trade that are offered through a career and technical education program that is approved by the State Board of Education.

H.B. 3049 amends current law relating to the number of hours of work experience required of a plumber's apprentice to take an examination for a plumber's license.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 1301.354, Occupations Code, by adding Subsection (c-1), as follows:

(c-1)  Authorizes the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, at the applicant's request, to credit an applicant under Subsection (b) (relating to authorizing a person who has worked as a plumber's apprentice for a certain period of time to apply to take an examination for a license as a journeyman plumber or tradesman plumber-limited license holder) with up to 250 hours of the work experience required before taking an examination if the applicant has completed a coherent sequence of courses in the construction trade that are offered through a career and technical education program that is approved by the State Board of Education.

SECTION 2. Effective date: upon passage or September 1, 2017.