April 17, 2025950April 11, 2025490

I, Bernard Dean, Chief Clerk of the House of Representatives of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is ENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1533 as passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate on the dates hereon set forth.

Chief Clerk

Secretary of State

State of Washington

ESHB 1533.PLENGROSSED SUBSTITUTE HOUSE BILL 1533SENATEPassed Legislature2025 Regular Session69th Legislature2025 Regular SessionHouse Labor & Workplace Standards (originally sponsored by Representatives Schmidt, Ramel, and Reed)READ FIRST TIME 02/21/25.Allowing a specialty electrician to continue working under a valid specialty certificate of competency while enrolled in a journey level apprenticeship program. AN ACT Relating to allowing a specialty electrician to continue working under a valid specialty certificate of competency while enrolled in a journey level apprenticeship program; adding a new section to chapter 49.04 RCW; and providing an effective date. Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 49.04 RCW to read as follows:

(1) Except as provided in subsection (4) of this section, for any general journey level electrician apprenticeship program approved under this chapter that is operated by an apprenticeship committee representing a single employer, the employer may use an apprentice registered in the program to perform work under the apprentice's valid specialty electrician certificate of competency issued by the department of labor and industries while participating in the program and without the employer having to change the apprentice's status in the program if:

(a) The employer submits to the department of labor and industries a detailed attestation of the apprentice's hours worked under the apprentice's valid specialty electrician certificate of competency on a quarterly basis; and

(b) The employer provides annual notice to the apprentice of the employer's intent to use the apprentice for performing work under the apprentice's valid specialty electrician certificate of competency, which must describe the requirements of this section, the wage the apprentice will be paid for performing work under the apprentice's valid specialty electrician certificate of competency, and inform the apprentice that performing such work for the employer may delay the apprentice's next wage progression based on low hour accumulation.

(2) The apprentice's hours worked under the apprentice's valid specialty electrician certificate of competency do not count toward the hours of work experience required to complete the program.

(3) Except as provided under subsection (4) of this section, an employer using an apprentice to perform work under the apprentice's valid specialty electrician certificate of competency under this section is exempt from the program standard requiring reasonably continuous employment, so long as the employer provides the apprentice at least 800 working hours each year that count toward the hours of work experience required to complete the program.

(4) The director of the department of labor and industries shall suspend the employer from the authorization under subsection (1) of this section and from the exemption under subsection (3) of this section if the director finds that the employer has willfully or repeatedly:

(a) Submitted incorrect or incomplete information in the attestation under subsection (1)(a) of this section or when reporting the hours for the apprenticeship program; or

(b) Failed to timely submit the attestation required under subsection (1)(a) of this section.

(5) The director of the department of labor and industries may adopt rules to implement this section.

Sec. 2.

This act takes effect January 1, 2026.