HOUSE BILL REPORT

HB 1746

As Passed House:

March 11, 2003

Title: An act relating to electrical contractor licenses.

Brief Description: Requiring electrical contractors to be licensed before advertising.

Sponsors: By Representatives Alexander, Conway, DeBolt, Chandler and Simpson.

Brief History:

Committee Activity:

Commerce & Labor: 2/26/03, 3/3/03 [DP].

Floor Activity:

Passed House: 3/11/03, 93-0.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority Report: Do pass. Signed by 9 members: Representatives Conway, Chair; Wood, Vice Chair; Chandler, Ranking Minority Member; Condotta, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Crouse, Holmquist, Hudgins, Kenney and McCoy.

Staff: Jill Reinmuth (786-7134).

Background:

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 of Bill:

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.

Appropriation: None.

Fiscal Note: Not requested.

Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For: There should be truth in advertising. People with an electrical contractor license should be able to advertise and people without such a license should not. This bill would help the Department of Labor and Industries (Department) enforce electrical contractor licensing requirements. Otherwise, the Department has to find unlicensed persons actually working on a job site. This bill takes a reasonable approach, one that is close to the advertising provision in the general contractor licensing requirements.

(Neutral) The language of the bill matches the language in the telecommunications contractor licensing requirements. The Department currently cites persons who advertise for electrical work but are not licensed electrical contractors. The Department considers advertising to be part of doing business.

Testimony Against: None.

Testified: (In support) Representative Alexander, prime sponsor; Mike Pettit; Richard King, International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers; and Rick Slunaker, Associated General Contractors.

(Neutral) Rowland Thompson, Allied Daily Newspapers of Washington; and Ron Fuller, Department of Labor and Industries.

(Concerns) Larry Stevens, National Electrical Contractors Association.