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).

House Committee on Commerce & Labor
Senate Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research & Development

Background:

Electrical Trainee Continuing Education

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 trainee 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.

Electrical Contractor Advertising

State law provides that it is unlawful to engage in, conduct, or carry on the business of doing
certain electrical work without having an electrical contractor license. It does not, however,
explicitly prohibit advertising, offering to do, or submitting a bid for such work without a
license.

In contrast, it is unlawful to advertise, offer to do work, submit a bid, engage in, conduct, or
carry on the business of doing telecommunications work without having a telecommunications contractor license. Similarly, it is unlawful to advertise, offer to do work, submit a bid, or perform any work as a contractor without being a registered contractor.

Summary:

Electrical Trainee Continuing Education

The requirements for renewing trainee certificates are modified. As of July 1, 2007, 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.

Electrical Contractor Advertising

It is unlawful to advertise, offer to do, or submit a bid for electrical work without having an
electrical contractor license, as well as to engage in, conduct, or carry on the business of doing certain electrical work without such a license.

Votes on Final Passage:

House   94   0

House   98   0
Senate   44   0   (Senate amended)
House Refuses to Concur
Senate         (Senate receded)
Senate   47   1   (Senate amended)
House   98   0   (House concurred)

Effective: June 7, 2006