ENGROSSED SENATE BILL 6089

State of Washington
68th Legislature
2024 Regular Session
BySenators King, Keiser, and Mullet; by request of Department of Labor & Industries
Read first time 01/09/24.Referred to Committee on Labor & Commerce.
AN ACT Relating to eliminating certain minimum requirement equivalencies for electrical inspectors; amending RCW 19.28.321; creating a new section; and providing an expiration date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
Sec. 1. RCW 19.28.321 and 2007 c 218 s 84 are each amended to read as follows:
The director of labor and industries of the state of Washington and the officials of all incorporated cities and towns where electrical inspections are required by local ordinances shall have power and it shall be their duty to enforce the provisions of this chapter in their respective jurisdictions. The director of labor and industries shall appoint a chief electrical inspector and may appoint other electrical inspectors as the director deems necessary to assist the director in the performance of the director's duties. The chief electrical inspector, subject to the review of the director, shall be responsible for providing the final interpretation of adopted state electrical standards, rules, and policies for the department and its inspectors, assistant inspectors, electrical plan examiners, and other individuals supervising electrical program personnel. If a dispute arises within the department regarding the interpretation of adopted state electrical standards, rules, or policies, the chief electrical inspector, subject to the review of the director, shall provide the final interpretation of the disputed standard, rule, or policy. All electrical inspectors appointed by the director of labor and industries shall have not less than: Four years experience as ((journeyperson))journey level electricians in the electrical construction trade installing and maintaining electrical wiring and equipment((, or two years electrical training in a college of electrical engineering of recognized standing and four years continuous practical electrical experience in installation work, or four years of electrical training in a college of electrical engineering of recognized standing and two years continuous practical electrical experience in electrical installation work)); or four years experience as a ((journeyperson))journey level electrician performing the duties of an electrical inspector employed by the department or a city or town with an approved inspection program under RCW 19.28.141, except that for work performed in accordance with the national electrical safety code and covered by this chapter, such inspections may be performed by a person certified as an outside journeyperson lineworker, under RCW 19.28.261(5)(b), with four years experience or a person with four years experience as a certified outside journeyperson lineworker performing the duties of an electrical inspector employed by an electrical utility. Such state inspectors shall be paid such salary as the director of labor and industries shall determine, together with their travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060 as now existing or hereafter amended. As a condition of employment, inspectors hired exclusively to perform inspections in accordance with the national electrical safety code must possess and maintain certification as an outside journeyperson lineworker. The expenses of the director of labor and industries and the salaries and expenses of state inspectors incurred in carrying out the provisions of this chapter shall be paid entirely out of the electrical license fund, upon vouchers approved by the director of labor and industries.
NEW SECTION.  Sec. 2. (1) The department of labor and industries 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 in this state.
(2) The department of labor and industries shall submit a report to the legislature with its findings and recommendations, in accordance with RCW 43.01.036, by December 15, 2024.
(3) This section expires June 30, 2025.
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