HOUSE BILL REPORT
ESB 6089
As Passed House:
March 1, 2024
Title: An act relating to eliminating certain minimum requirement equivalencies for electrical inspectors.
Brief Description: Eliminating certain minimum requirement equivalencies for electrical inspectors.
Sponsors: Senators King, Keiser and Mullet; by request of Department of Labor & Industries.
Brief History:
Committee Activity:
Labor & Workplace Standards: 2/20/24, 2/21/24 [DP].
Floor Activity:
Passed House: 3/1/24, 96-0.
Brief Summary of Engrossed Bill
  • Removes, for the purposes of the minimum requirements for electrical inspectors, a provision allowing an electrical inspector to have two years of electrical training in a college of electrical engineering and four years of practical electrical experience in installation work, or four years of electrical training in a college and two years of practical electrical experience.
  • Requires the Department of Labor and Industries and the Association of Washington Cities to work with cities that issue their own electrical permits and perform their own inspections to identify appropriate pathways to qualify as an electrical inspector.
HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LABOR & WORKPLACE STANDARDS
Majority Report: Do pass.Signed by 9 members:Representatives Berry, Chair; Fosse, Vice Chair; Schmidt, Ranking Minority Member; Bronoske, Doglio, Ormsby, Ortiz-Self, Rude and Ybarra.
Staff: Trudes Tango (786-7384).
Background:

With some exceptions, a person doing installation, alteration, or maintenance of any electrical system or equipment must first purchase an electrical work permit.  When the work is complete, the person must request an electrical inspection by a qualified inspector.  
 
The Department of Labor and Industries (Department) administers the electrical requirements.  Several cities issue their own permits and conduct their own inspections within their local city limits.  The Department issues permits and conducts inspections throughout the state, except for within the cities that have their own inspection programs.
 
Electrical inspectors must meet certain minimum training and experience requirements.  An electrical inspector must have:

  • four years of experience as a journeyperson electrician in the electrical construction trade installing and maintaining electrical wiring and equipment;
  • two years of electrical training in a college of electrical engineering of recognized standing and four years continuous practical electrical experience installation work; 
  • four years of electrical training in a college of electrical engineering of recognized standing and two years continuous practical electrical experience installation work; or
  • four years of experience as a journeyperson electrician performing the duties of an electrical inspector employed by the Department or a city or town with an approved inspection program.

 

For work performed in accordance with the National Electrical Safety Code, other specific work experience and journeyperson lineworker certification are required. 
Summary of Bill:

The provision allowing electrical inspectors to have two years of electrical training in a college of electrical engineering and four years of practical electrical experience in installation work, or four years of electrical training in a college and two years of practical experience, is removed.  
 
The Department and the Association of Washington Cities must work with cities that issue their own electrical permits and perform their own electrical inspections to identify appropriate pathways to qualify as an electrical inspector.  The Department must submit a report to the Legislature with its findings and recommendations by December 15, 2024.
Appropriation: None.
Fiscal Note: Available.
Effective Date: The bill takes effect 90 days after adjournment of the session in which the bill is passed.
Staff Summary of Public Testimony:

(In support) This bill eliminates two of the four ways a person can become an electrical inspector because those two were not used often, and there were concerns with them.  The remaining two are rigorous.  The bill passed the Senate unanimously and was amended to address concerns raised by the cities regarding finding more inspectors.  

 

(Opposed) None.
Persons Testifying:

Senator Curtis King, prime sponsor; and Tammy Fellin, Department of Labor and Industries.
Persons Signed In To Testify But Not Testifying: None.