1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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3 SENATE BILL 1572 By: Daniels
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to electricians; amending 59 O.S.
7 2021, Sections 1682, 1686, 1688, 1689, and 1699,
8 which relate to the Electrical License Act; modifying
8 definition; stating qualifications for certification;
9 providing for expiration of registration; updating
9 statutory language; updating statutory reference; and
10 providing an effective date.
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12 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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13 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1682, is
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14 amended to read as follows:
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15 Section 1682. A. As used in the Electrical License Act:
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16 1. “Board” means the Construction Industries Board;
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17 2. “Committee” means the Committee of Electrical Examiners
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18 appointed by the Board;
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19 3. “Electrical apprentice” means any person sixteen (16) years
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20 of age or older whose principal occupation is the learning of and
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21 assisting in the installation of electrical work under the direct
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22 supervision of a licensed journeyman electrician or electrical
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23 contractor;
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 1 4. “Journeyman electrician” means any person other than an
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2 electrical contractor who engages in the actual installation,
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3 alteration, repair or renovation of electrical facilities or
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4 electrical construction work unless specifically exempted by the
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5 provisions of the Electrical License Act;
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6 5. “Electrical contractor” means any person skilled in the
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7 planning, superintending and practical installation of electrical
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8 facilities who is familiar with the laws, rules and regulations
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9 governing such work. Electrical contractor also means any
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10 individual, firm, partnership, corporation, limited liability
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11 company or business performing skills of an electrical contractor or
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12 an electrician or the business of contracting, or furnishing labor
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13 or labor and materials for the installation, repair, maintenance or
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14 renovation of electrical facilities or electrical construction work
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15 according to the provisions of the Electrical License Act;
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16 6. “Electrical facilities” means all wiring, fixtures,
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17 appurtenances and appliances for, and in connection with, a supply
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18 of electricity within or adjacent to any building, structure or
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19 conveyance on the premises but not including the connection with a
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20 power supply meter or other power supply source;
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21 7. “Category” means the classification by which licenses and
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22 electrical work may be limited. Such categories shall include but
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23 shall not be limited to installation, maintenance, repair,
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24 alteration, residential, oilfield and commercial;
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 1 8. “Temporary journeyman electrician” means any person other
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2 than a person permanently licensed as a journeyman electrician or
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3 electrical contractor in this state who meets the temporary
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4 licensure requirements of Section 1685.1 of this title;
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5 9. “Variance and Appeals Board” means the Oklahoma State
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6 Electrical Installation Code Variance and Appeals Board;
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7 10. “Electrical construction work” means installation,
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8 fabrication or assembly of equipment or systems included in
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9 “premises wiring” as defined in the National Electrical Code
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10 (reference 158:40-1-4. Standard of Installation), and which is
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11 hereby adopted and incorporated by reference. Electrical
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12 construction work includes but is not limited to installation of
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13 raceway systems used for any electrical purposes, and installation
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14 of field-assembled systems such as ice and snow melting, pipe-
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15 tracing and manufactured wiring systems. Electrical construction
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16 work shall not include in-plant work performed by employees of the
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17 company owning the plant, work performed by telecommunications
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18 employees for telecommunications companies or installation of
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19 factory-assembled appliances or machinery which is not part of the
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20 premises wiring unless wiring interconnections external to the
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21 equipment are required in the field;
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22 11. “Electrical work” means work consisting primarily of the
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23 layout, installation, maintenance, repair, testing or replacement of
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24 all or part of electrical wires, conduits, apparatus, fixtures,
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 1 appliances or equipment for transmitting, carrying, controlling or
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2 using electricity in, on, outside or attached to a building,
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3 structure, property or premises. Electrical work shall not mean
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4 work that is related to or facilitates the construction,
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5 installation or maintenance of all or part of an electrical system,
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6 but which does not involve actual work with any of the electrical
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7 components provided in this definition; and
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8 12. “Student electrical intern apprentice” means any person
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9 sixteen (16) years of age or older who complies with the
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10 requirements for registration under Section 1686 of this title.
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11 B. Class 2 and Class 3 alarm circuits shall be exempt from the
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12 requirements of electrical licensing of either an electrical
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13 contractor or a journeyman electrician, provided the work is
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14 performed in accordance with the National Fire Protection
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15 Association 70 requirements for Class 2 and Class 3 circuits.
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16 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1686, is
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17 amended to read as follows:
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18 Section 1686. A. The Construction Industries Board shall, upon
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19 proper application and payment of fee, register as an electrical
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20 apprentice and issue a certificate of such registration to any
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21 person who furnishes satisfactory proof to the Board that the
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22 applicant is:
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23 1. Sixteen (16) years of age or older; or
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 1 2. Enrolled in a school or federal training program for
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2 electrical apprentices recognized by the Board or employed as an
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3 electrical apprentice with an active licensed electrical contractor.
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4 B. The Construction Industries Board shall, upon proper
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5 application and payment of fee, register as a student electrical
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6 intern apprentice and issue a certificate of such registration to
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7 any person who furnishes satisfactory proof to the Board that the
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8 applicant is:
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9 1. Sixteen (16) years of age or older; and
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10 2. Enrolled in high school and enrolled in a work-ready or
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11 similar program recognized by the Board; and
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12 3. Employed with an active licensed electrical contractor.
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13 A student apprentice may not apply more than one thousand five
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14 hundred (1,500) hours toward his or her journeyman requirements.
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15 C. All applications for examination, license or renewal of
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16 license shall be made in writing to the Board on forms provided, if
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17 necessary, by the Board. All applications shall be accompanied by
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18 the appropriate fee.
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19 D. Apprentices and student electrical interns apprentices, when
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20 required by the Board, shall provide such documents, statements or
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21 other information as may be necessary to submit to a national
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22 criminal history record check as defined by Section 150.9 of Title
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23 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
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 1 SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1688, is
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2 amended to read as follows:
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3 Section 1688. A. No license shall be issued for longer than
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4 one (1) year, and all licenses shall expire on the last day in the
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5 birth month of the licensee. A license may be renewed upon
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6 application and payment of fees thirty (30) days preceding or
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7 following the date the license is due. Licenses renewed more than
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8 thirty (30) days following the date of expiration may be renewed
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9 only upon application and payment of all required fees and payment
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10 of any penalty for late renewal established by the Construction
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11 Industries Board and upon compliance with any applicable continuing
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12 education requirements established by the Board and the Electrical
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13 License Act. No penalty for late renewal shall be charged to any
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14 holder of a license which expires while the holder is in military
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15 service, if an application for renewal is made within one (1) year
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16 following the service discharge of the holder.
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17 B. No journeyman or contractor license shall be renewed unless
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18 the licensee has completed the required hours of continuing
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19 education, as determined and approved by the Committee of Electrical
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20 Examiners and approved by the Construction Industries Board.
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21 C. An apprentice registration certificate or a student intern
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22 apprentice registration certificate shall be issued for one (1)
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23 year, at which time the apprentice may reregister upon meeting the
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24 requirements of the Construction Industries Board and paying the
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 1 renewal fee. A student apprentice registration expires on the last
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2 day of the registrant’s school year.
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3 SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1689, is
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4 amended to read as follows:
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5 Section 1689. A. The Construction Industries Board or its
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6 designee and the Committee of Electrical Examiners shall act as the
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7 Electrical Hearing Board and shall comply with the provisions of
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8 Article II of the Administrative Procedures Act, Section 308a et
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9 seq. of Title 75 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
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10 B. Any administrative hearing on suspensions, revocations or
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11 fines shall be conducted by a hearing examiner appointed by the
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12 Board. The hearing examiner’s decision shall be a final decision
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13 which may be appealed to a district court in accordance with the
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14 Administrative Procedures Act.
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15 C. The Electrical Hearing Board may, upon its own motion, and
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16 shall, upon written complaint filed by any person, investigate the
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17 business transactions of any electrical contractor, journeyman
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18 electrician, electrical apprentice, student electrical intern
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19 apprentice or poultry house contractor license. Upon a finding by
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20 clear and convincing evidence, the Board shall suspend or revoke any
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21 license or registration obtained by false or fraudulent
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22 representation. Upon a finding by clear and convincing evidence,
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23 the Board shall also suspend or revoke any license or registration
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24 for any of the following:
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 1 1. Making a material misstatement in the application for a
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2 license or registration, or the renewal of a license or
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3 registration;
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4 2. Loaning or illegally using a license;
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5 3. Demonstrating incompetence to act as a journeyman
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6 electrician or electrical contractor;
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7 4. Violating any provisions of the Electrical License Act, or
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8 any rule or order prescribed by the Board or any ordinance for the
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9 installation of electrical facilities made or enacted by a city or
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10 town by authority of the Electrical License Act;
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11 5. Willfully failing to perform normal business obligations
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12 without justifiable cause; or
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13 6. Failing to maintain a registration or license as required by
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14 law in another state while registered in this state as a nonresident
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15 contractor.
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16 D. Any person whose license or registration has been revoked by
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17 the Electrical Hearing Board may apply for a new license one (1)
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18 year from the date of such revocation.
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19 E. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a political
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20 subdivision of this state that has adopted a nationally recognized
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21 electrical code and appointed an inspector pursuant to the
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22 provisions of Section 1693 of this title or pursuant to the
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23 provisions of the Oklahoma Inspectors Act for such work shall have
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24 jurisdiction over the interpretation of the code and the
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 1 installation of all electrical work done in that political
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2 subdivision, subject to the provisions of the Oklahoma Inspectors
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3 Act. Provided, a state inspector may work directly with an
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4 electrical contractor, journeyman electrician, electrical apprentice
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5 or student electrical intern apprentice in such a locality if a
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6 violation of the code creates an immediate threat to life or health.
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7 F. In the case of a complaint about, investigation of or
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8 inspection of any license, registration, permit or electrical work
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9 in any political subdivision of this state which has not adopted a
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10 nationally recognized electrical code and appointed an inspector
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11 pursuant to the provisions of Section 1693 of this title or pursuant
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12 to the provisions of the Oklahoma Inspectors Act for such work, the
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13 Construction Industries Board shall have jurisdiction over such
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14 matters.
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15 G. 1. No individual, business, company, corporation,
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16 association or other entity subject to the provisions of the
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17 Electrical License Act shall install, modify or alter electrical
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18 facilities in any incorporated area of this state which has not
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19 adopted a nationally recognized electrical code and appointed an
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20 inspector pursuant to the provisions of Section 1693 of this title
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21 or pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Inspectors Act for
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22 such work without providing notice of such electrical work to the
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23 Construction Industries Board. A notice form for reproduction by an
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 1 individual or entity required to make such notice shall be provided
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2 by the Construction Industries Board upon request.
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3 2. Notice to the Construction Industries Board pursuant to this
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4 subsection shall not be required for electrical maintenance or
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5 replacement of existing electrical appliances or fixtures or of any
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6 petroleum refinery or its research facilities.
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7 3. Enforcement of this subsection is authorized pursuant to the
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8 Electrical License Act, or under authority granted to the
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9 Construction Industries Board.
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10 SECTION 5. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1699, is
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11 amended to read as follows:
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12 Section 1699. One student electrical intern apprentice is
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13 allowed to work per physical job site with direct supervision under
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14 a single journeyman or electrical contractor; provided, however,
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15 that no such student electrical intern apprentice shall be counted
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16 against the maximum number of apprentices who are allowed by law or
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17 regulation to work under the supervision of a single journeyman or
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18 contractor. A student electrical intern apprentice is not allowed
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19 to work on high voltage systems defined by the National Electrical
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20 Code.
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21 SECTION 6. This act shall become effective November 1, 2024.
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23 59-2-2353 MR 1/5/2024 4:07:32 PM
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