HOUSE BILL REPORT
SHB 1841
As Amended by the Senate
Title: An act relating to electrical trainees.
Brief Description: Revising provisions for electrical trainees.
Sponsors: By House Committee on Commerce & Labor (originally sponsored by Representatives Wood, Kenney, Conway, Strow, Sells, Simpson, Hasegawa and Santos).
Brief History:
Commerce & Labor: 2/16/05, 2/23/05 [DPS].
Floor Activity:
Passed House: 3/10/05, 94-0.
Floor Activity:
Passed House: 1/27/06, 98-0.
Senate Amended.
Passed Senate: 3/2/06, 44-0.
Brief Summary of Substitute Bill |
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HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR
Majority Report: The substitute bill be substituted therefor and the substitute bill do pass. Signed by 7 members: Representatives Conway, Chair; Wood, Vice Chair; Condotta, Ranking Minority Member; Sump, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Crouse, Hudgins and McCoy.
Staff: Jill Reinmuth (786-7134).
Background:
The Department of Labor and Industries (Department) administers electrical contracting and
certification laws. These laws establish requirements for trainees to work in the electrical
construction trade.
To work as a trainee in the electrical construction trade, a person must obtain an electrical
training certificate. The trainee must renew the certificate biennially. When renewing the
certificate, the trainee must provide the Department with a list of the trainee's employers
during the previous biennial period and the number of hours worked for each employer.
Summary of Substitute Bill:
The requirements for renewing trainee certificates are modified. As of July 1, 2006, in
addition to the list of past employers and hours worked for those employers, a trainee must
provide proof of 16 hours of certain course work. This course work includes continuing
education courses covering national and state electrical codes or electrical theory, or
equivalent courses taken as part of an approved apprenticeship or electrical training program.
EFFECT OF SENATE AMENDMENT(S):
The date by which electrical trainees must comply with the continuing education requirement
is July 1, 2006, as in the original bill.
A provision is added specifying that a person may not advertise, offer to do work, or submit a
bid to do electrical work without having an electrical contractor license.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.
Testimony For: This bill is common sense legislation. Electrical installations are complex
and dangerous. This is a first step towards a better-trained, and better-educated workforce.
Classroom training is already required for journeyman electricians, and should also be
required for electrical trainees. Trainees have an extremely low pass rate between 10 and 12
percent when taking the exam to become certified as a journeyman electrician, and part of
the exam is open book.
The job site supervision requirement is one of the most abused provisions in the law. First
and second year trainees are the most vulnerable and the most in need of additional
supervision. The changes to the job site supervision requirements are limited to commercial
installations.
Testimony Against: (With concerns) There is no problem with the classroom training
requirement. We are okay with the educational requirement.
A widespread problem with supervision has not been established. There is no demonstrated
need for this bill. This issue should be addressed in collective bargaining.
Most electrical contractors have less than five employees. This bill, if passed as is, would
hurt small electrical contractors.
Persons Testifying: (In support) Mike Grunwald, International Brotherhood of Electrical
Workers Local (IBEW) 76; Janet Lewis, IBEW Local 46; Bob Guenther, IBEW Local 77;
and Richard King, IBEW.
(With concerns) Larry Turner, Alpha Omega Electric; Larry Stevens, National Electrical
Contractors Association, Gary Smith, Independent Business Association; and Rick Slunaker,
Associated General Contractors.