[atlas:bill]

AN ACT Relating to exempting heating, air conditioning, water heater, and household appliance installation and service from electrical licensing laws; and amending RCW 19.28.261.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1. RCW 19.28.261 and 2001 c 211 s 19 are each amended to read as follows:

Nothing in RCW 19.28.161 through 19.28.271 shall be construed to require that a person obtain a license or a certified electrician in order to do electrical work at his or her residence or farm or place of business or on other property owned by him or her unless the electrical work is on the construction of a new building intended for rent, sale, or lease. However, if the construction is of a new residential building with up to four units intended for rent, sale, or lease, the owner may receive an exemption from the requirement to obtain a license or use a certified electrician if he or she provides a signed affidavit to the department stating that he or she will be performing the work and will occupy one of the units as his or her principal residence. The owner shall apply to the department for this exemption and may only receive an exemption once every twenty-four months. It is intended that the owner receiving this exemption shall occupy the unit as his or her principal residence for twenty-four months after completion of the units. Nothing in RCW 19.28.161 through 19.28.271 shall be intended to derogate from or dispense with the requirements of any valid electrical code enacted by a city or town pursuant to RCW 19.28.010(3), except that no code shall require the holder of a certificate of competency to demonstrate any additional proof of competency or obtain any other license or pay any fee in order to engage in the electrical construction trade. RCW 19.28.161 through 19.28.271 shall not apply to common carriers subject to Part I of the Interstate Commerce Act, nor to their officers and employees. Nothing in RCW 19.28.161 through 19.28.271 shall be deemed to apply to the installation or maintenance of telephone, telegraph, radio, or television wires and equipment; nor to any electrical utility or its employees in the installation, repair, and maintenance of electrical wiring, circuits, and equipment by or for the utility, or comprising a part of its plants, lines or systems. The licensing provisions of RCW 19.28.161 through 19.28.271 shall not apply to:

(1) Persons making electrical installations on their own property or to regularly employed employees working on the premises of their employer, unless the electrical work is on the construction of a new building intended for rent, sale, or lease;

(2) Employees of an employer while the employer is performing utility type work of the nature described in RCW 19.28.091 so long as such employees have registered in the state of Washington with or graduated from a state-approved outside lineman apprenticeship course that is recognized by the department and that qualifies a person to perform such work; ((or))

(3) Any work exempted under RCW 19.28.091(6); or

(4) Persons installing, servicing, maintaining, repairing, or replacing:

(a) Low voltage, class 2 HVAC/refrigeration control circuit cables or equipment for irrigation systems, garage door openers, built-in vacuum cleaning systems, control of furnaces, heat pumps, and similar HVAC or refrigeration equipment when such conductors do not connect to other than HVAC or refrigeration equipment and when such buildings do not exceed three floors above grade, except for residential occupancies; or

(b) HVAC/refrigeration, water heater, electric range, electric oven, garbage disposal, dishwasher, clothes washers, clothes dryers, ventilation fans, and other common household appliances. This includes replacing the device having no greater electrical supply requirements than the device being replaced if the person uses the same electrical circuit used to power the equipment being replaced, without modification, to operate the replacement equipment. This also includes replacing electrical components within the device, only if the components are like in kind with equivalent voltage and current ratings. This exemption does not allow the installation of branch circuit (line voltage) conductors, services, feeders, panelboards, or disconnect switches to devices exempted by this subsection. Short sections of raceway may be installed for access to or physical protection of cables, however wiring in conduit systems and wiring in classified locations are not included in this exemption.

Nothing in RCW 19.28.161 through 19.28.271 shall be construed to restrict the right of any householder to assist or receive assistance from a friend, neighbor, relative or other person when none of the individuals doing the electrical installation hold themselves out as engaged in the trade or business of electrical installations. Nothing precludes any person who is exempt from the licensing requirements of this chapter under this section from obtaining a journeyman or specialty certificate of competency if they otherwise meet the requirements of this chapter.