SENATE BILL REPORT

                   SB 5933

                    As of February 27, 1995

Title:  An act relating to apprenticeship for electricians.

Brief Description:  Providing for apprenticeship for electricians.

Sponsors:  Senators Heavey and Wojahn.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:  Labor, Commerce & Trade:  2/28/95.

SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR, COMMERCE & TRADE

Staff:  Max Williams (786-7439)

Background:  A person may work in the electrical construction trade without a current certificate of competency as a journeyman electrician or specialty electrician, if he or she is indentured in an approved apprenticeship program, or learning the electrical construction trade.  This person must work under the supervision of a certified electrician.  The "trainee" obtains a training certificate from the Department of Labor and Industries.

In order to be eligible to take the examination for journeyman electrician, the applicant must have completed four years' full-time work in the electrical construction trade under the supervision of a journeyman electrician, or have successfully completed an approved apprenticeship program.  Completion of a two-year technical school program in the electrical construction trade may substitute for two years of the experience requirement.  Applicants who have received training in the electrical construction trade in the armed forces may be eligible to take the examination. 

In order to sit for the specialty electrician's exam, the applicant must have two years of full-time work experience in the trade. 

There may not be more than two noncertified individuals working on any one job site for every electrician working as a specialty electrician, and not more than one noncertified individual per journeyman electrician.

Summary of Bill:  Only individuals indentured in an approved apprenticeship program may work in the electrical construction trade without a certificate of competency.  It is unlawful for an employer to employ workers to do supervised electrical work without an apprenticeship certificate.

Technical school program and armed forces electrical experience does not count toward electrician's exam eligibility requirements.

Effective January 1, 1996, there may not be more than one noncertified individual on any job site for every certified journeyman electrician.

Various technical changes are made.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Requested on February 15, 1995.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.