Report Title:

Electrical Licensing

 

Description:

Specifies educational requirements for electricians.  (SD1)

 

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1248

TWENTY-FOURTH LEGISLATURE, 2007

S.D. 1

STATE OF HAWAII

 

 

 

 

 

A BILL FOR AN ACT

 

 

RELATING TO ELECTRICAL LICENSING.

 

 

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:

 

     SECTION 1.  Section 448E-5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "§448E-5  Minimum requirements.  An applicant shall possess the following minimum qualifications:

     (1)  Journey worker electrician.  Every applicant to be eligible for the journey worker electrician examination shall be at least eighteen years of age and shall provide satisfactory evidence of:

         (A)  Successfully completing an accredited academic program and a five-year apprenticeship program covering the principles of electrical theory and the requirements of the National Electric Code; or

         (B)  At least five years of full-time experience in residential or commercial wiring [of at least five years full-time] or its equivalent, but [not less] no fewer than [10,000] ten thousand hours of experience in the trade under the supervision of a journey worker or supervising electrician.

     (2)  Journey worker specialty electrician.  Every applicant to be eligible for the journey worker specialty electrician examination shall be at least eighteen years of age and shall [have]:

         (A)  Provide satisfactory evidence of having successfully completed an accredited academic program and five-year apprenticeship program covering the principles of electrical theory and the requirements of the National Electric Code; or

         (B)  Have had at least five [years'] years experience in the trade.

     (3)  Supervising electrician.  Every applicant to be eligible for the supervising electrician examination shall [have]:

         (A)  Have been registered with the board as a journey worker electrician for at least a period of four years in the trade or shall have had equivalent experience in the trade[.]; and

         (B)  Provide satisfactory evidence of having successfully completed an associate degree or certificate program or electrical apprenticeship program covering the principles of electrical theory and the requirements of the National Electric Code.

     (4)  Supervising specialty electrician.  Every applicant to be eligible for the supervising specialty electrician examination shall [have]:

         (A)  Have been registered with the board as a journey worker specialty electrician for at least a period of four years [in the trade] or shall have had equivalent experience in the trade[.]; and

         (B)  Provide satisfactory evidence of having successfully completed an accredited academic program and five-year apprenticeship program covering the principles of electrical theory and the requirements of the National Electric Code.

     (5)  Journey worker plumber.  Every applicant to be eligible for the journey worker plumber examination shall have had at least five years of full-time experience [of at least five years' full-time] or its equivalent but [not less] no fewer than [10,000] ten thousand hours as a journey worker's or master plumber's helper, and [is] be able to furnish satisfactory evidence of such fact.

     (6)  Master plumber.  Every applicant to be eligible for the master plumber examination shall have been registered with the board as a journey worker plumber for at least two years or shall have had equivalent experience in the trade.

     (7)  Maintenance electrician.  Every applicant to be eligible for the maintenance electrician examination shall [be]:

         (A)  Be not less than eighteen years of age;

         (B)  Provide satisfactory evidence of having successfully completed an accredited academic program or a five-year apprenticeship program covering the principles of electrical theory and the requirements of the National Electric Code; [and shall have] or;

         (C)  Have had at least one year of experience in performing electrical maintenance work or proof of two years of schooling in the electrical trade.

     (8)  Journey worker industrial electrician.  Every applicant to be eligible for the journey worker industrial electrician examination shall [be]:

         (A)  Be at least eighteen years of age;

         (B)  Provide satisfactory evidence of having successfully completed an accredited academic program and a five-year apprenticeship program covering the principles of electrical theory and the requirements of the National Electric Code; [and shall have] or

         (C)  Have had at least five years of full-time experience in industrial electrical work [of at least five years full-time] or its equivalent[, but not less]; provided that such experience shall not be less than [10,000] ten thousand hours.

     (9)  Supervising industrial electrician.  Every applicant to be eligible for the supervising industrial electrician examination shall [have]:

         (A)  Have been registered with the board as a journey worker industrial electrician for a period of at least four years or shall have had equivalent experience in the trade[.]; and

         (B)  Provide satisfactory evidence of having successfully completed an accredited academic program and a five-year apprenticeship program covering the principles of electrical theory and the requirements of the National Electric Code."

     SECTION 2.  Section 448E-5.5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended to read as follows:

     "[[]§448E-5.5[]]  Examination.  (a)  Every applicant shall be examined and shall pass an examination to be eligible for licensure.  The board shall provide in its rules the passing score for the examination.  The board may examine applicants or may contract with professional testing services to prepare, administer, and grade the examination as may be required for the purpose of this section.

     (b)  Every applicant shall pay an examination fee as provided in rules adopted by the director pursuant to chapter 91.  Should the board contract with a professional testing agency to prepare, administer, and grade the examination, the examination fee may be paid directly to the testing agency by the director or the examinee.

     (c)  The examinations for all levels of electricians shall test the applicant's knowledge of the principles of electrical theory and the requirements of the National Electric Code.  The examinations shall test the applicant at the level of knowledge gained through the successful completion of an associate degree or certification program in electrical theory or electrical apprenticeship from an accredited institution."

     SECTION 3.  This Act does not affect rights and duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were begun, before its effective date.

     SECTION 4.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 5.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2050; provided that the amendments made by section 1 of this Act to paragraphs (3), (4), and (9) of section 448E-5, Hawaii Revised Statutes, shall take effect four years from the effective date of this Act.