By: Kuempel (Senate Sponsor - Estes) H.B. No. 1698
         (In the Senate - Received from the House April 27, 2017;
  May 4, 2017, read first time and referred to Committee on Business &
  Commerce; May 21, 2017, reported favorably by the following vote:  
  Yeas 8, Nays 0; May 21, 2017, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote
 
 
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
 
AN ACT
 
  relating to the licensing and regulation of a journeyman industrial
  electrician.
         BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
         SECTION 1.  Section 1305.002, Occupations Code, is amended
  by adding Subdivision (11-b) to read as follows:
               (11-b)  "Journeyman industrial electrician" means 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.
         SECTION 2.  Section 1305.102(a), Occupations Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  The commission [executive director] shall adopt rules
  for the licensing of electricians, sign electricians, electrical
  sign contractors, electrical contractors, journeyman industrial
  electricians, journeyman linemen, residential appliance
  installers, and residential appliance installation contractors as
  prescribed by this chapter.
         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.
         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 5.  Section 1305.168(a), Occupations Code, is
  amended to read as follows:
         (a)  To renew a master electrician, journeyman electrician,
  master sign electrician, journeyman sign electrician, maintenance
  electrician, journeyman industrial electrician, journeyman
  lineman, or residential wireman license, the license holder must
  complete four hours of continuing education annually.
         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 7.  This Act takes effect September 1, 2017.
 
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