| Summary |
Section 1 of the bill amends a definition and adds new definitions
under the electricians' practice act.
In current law, an applicant for a journeyman electrician's license
or a residential wireman's license must provide evidence of having certain
minimum years of apprenticeship experience, accredited training, or
practical experience. For the purpose of these requirements, section 3
allows an applicant to have a minimum of 8,000 hours, rather than 4
years, of apprenticeship experience and to have a minimum of 4,000
hours, rather than 2 years, of practical experience. Specifically, an
applicant for a journeyman electrician's license must furnish written
evidence that:
•
The applicant has at least 4 years or 8,000 hours of
apprenticeship in the electrical trade or 4 years or 8,000
hours of practical experience in wiring for, installing, and
repairing electrical apparatus and equipment for electric
light, heat, and power; and
•
At least 2 years or 4,000 hours of the applicant's experience
is in commercial, industrial, or substantially similar work.
An applicant for a residential wireman's license must furnish written
evidence that the applicant has at least 2 years of accredited training or 2
years or 4,000 hours of practical experience in wiring one-, two-, three-,
and four-family dwellings.
Current law allows an applicant for a journeyman electrician's
license or a residential wireman's license to substitute for required
practical experience evidence of academic training or practical experience
in the electrical field. Section 2 allows an applicant to also substitute
evidence of training in photovoltaic systems installation. However,
section 2 also states that the state electrical board (board) may, but is no
longer required to, provide work experience credit for academic training,
including military training.
Section 2 also allows an applicant for a journeyman electrician's
license or a residential wireman's license to claim up to 4,000 hours of
practical experience by working:
•
As an individual who is certified by the North American
Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) to
install photovoltaic systems (NABCEP PV installation
professional); or
•
As an apprentice to an NABCEP PV installation
professional, so long as the supervising NABCEP PV
installation professional provides proof of employment and
an affidavit attesting that the applicant earned the hours as
an apprentice.
For every 2 hours that an applicant works as described, the applicant may
claim one hour of practical experience until July 1, 2029.
Under current law, for all applicants seeking work experience
credit toward licensure, the board gives credit for electrical work that is
not required to be performed by or under the supervision of a licensed
electrician if the applicant can show that the particular experience
received or the supervision under which the work has been performed is
adequate. Section 3 states the board may give such credit but is not
required to do so.
Section 4 requires that, for an apprentice who holds an active
residential wireman license, an electrical contractor, an apprenticeship
program, or a state apprenticeship agency that employs the apprentice
must report qualifying years or hours of work experience only for
commercial, industrial, or substantially similar work. Section 4 also
ensures that an individual who possesses an active residential wireman or
master electrician license is not required to take the journeyman
electrician license examination. Section 4 also allows an apprentice to
request an exemption from the board from future examination
requirements, regardless of whether the apprentice has failed to pass the
license examination in 2 consecutive 3-year periods.
Section 5 requires the department of regulatory agencies (DORA)
to:
•
Uphold the rules and regulations of the current edition of
the national electrical code, including applying the code to
all equipment from the point at which service transformers
generate voltage to usable systems for consumers,
including all associated wiring; risers, whether overhead or
underground; and metering systems;
•
Cooperate with utility companies to maintain safe
clearances and safe working distances for the utilities based
on the current edition of the national electrical code; and
•
Allow each utility to install its proper metering equipment
with the assistance of qualified electrical personnel.
Section 5 also states that all electrical equipment is subject to
inspection by an authority having jurisdiction to conduct electrical
inspections.
Under current law, the contract for any public works project that
does not receive federal money in an amount of $1,000,000 or more must
require the general contractor or other firm to which the contract is
awarded to submit, at the time the mechanical, electrical, or plumbing
subcontractor is put under contract, documentation to the agency of
government that certifies that all firms identified participate in
apprenticeship programs registered with the United States department of
labor's office of apprenticeship or a state apprenticeship agency
recognized by the United States department of labor (registered
apprenticeship program) and have a proven record of graduating
apprentices. Section 6 states that for the purposes of this requirement, an
apprentice who has obtained a residential wireman, journeyman
electrician, or master electrician license while enrolled in a registered
apprenticeship program is considered a graduate.
Section 7 removes, effective July 1, 2029, language that, for
photovoltaic installations with a direct current design capacity of less than
300 kilowatts, allows the performance of all photovoltaic electrical work,
the installation of photovoltaic modules, and the installation of
photovoltaic module mounting equipment to be subject to on-site
supervision by a certified photovoltaic energy practitioner designated by
the NABCEP.
Section 7 also removes language:
•
Stating that neither the public utilities commission nor a
utility has responsibility for monitoring or enforcing
compliance with statutory requirements concerning solar
photovoltaic installations (installations);
•
Requiring an applicant for funding or for an initial contract
proposal for an installation (applicant) to obtain certain
information; and
•
Requiring a qualifying retail utility to obtain from an
applicant and retain, for at least one year after completion
of an installation, copies of all documentation submitted by
the applicant in connection with the installation.
Section 7 also states that, as used in the context of photovoltaic
electrical work, for ground-mounted systems, grounding includes the
wiring of bonding jumpers and grounding conductors. Grounding does
not include work related to the racking assembly, racking construction,
or the physical mounting of modules.
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