HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  SB 6604

                      As Passed House:

                        March 3, 1998

Title:  An act relating to premanufactured electric power generation equipment.

Brief Description:  Allowing the department of labor and industries to exempt specified work on premanufactured electric power generation equipment from licensing requirements.

Sponsors:  Senators Schow, Heavey and Horn.

Brief History:

  Committee Activity:

Commerce & Labor:  2/23/98, 2/26/98 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House:  3/3/98, 88-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives McMorris, Chairman; Honeyford, Vice Chairman; Conway, Ranking Minority Member; Wood, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Boldt; Clements; Hatfield and Lisk.

Staff:  Selwyn Walters (786-7117).

Background:  The Department of Labor and Industries licenses all work concerning the installation of electrical wires, equipment, and services.  However, several methods of installation, repair, or maintenance of lines, wires, apparatuses, and equipment are exempt from licensing.

Summary of Bill:  The Department of Labor and Industries may, by rule, exempt from licensing the testing, repair, modification, maintenance, or component installation work performed on premanufactured electric power generation equipment assemblies and control gear.

Appropriation:  None.

Fiscal Note:  Not requested.

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

Testimony For:  The statute did not allow unlicensed individuals to work internally on equipment they manufactured, supplied, and maintained.  The bill now enables the Department of Labor and Industries to adopt rules to make the exemption workable.  During the interim all sides worked on drafting the enabling legislation to allow the department of Labor and Industries to adopt the rule.  The department was involved in crafting the exemption to ensure industries did not expose untrained or uncertified individuals to live wires.

Testimony Against:  None.

Testified:  (pro) Mark Triplett, NC Power Systems and Caterpillar; Richard King and Richard Nelson, IBEW.