1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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3 HOUSE BILL 3215 By: West (Kevin)
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to professions and occupations;
7 amending 59 O.S. 2021, Sections 1684 and 1688, which
8 relate to the Electrical License Act; establishing
8 maximum grade value and passing score; providing for
9 retaking of exam; establishing time limit for
9 registration certificates; requiring continuing
10 education for renewal of certain licenses; requiring
10 amendment of administrative rules; providing for
11 codification; and providing an effective date.
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14 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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15 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1684, is
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16 amended to read as follows:
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17 Section 1684. A. Examinations for licenses as electrical
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18 contractors or journeyman electricians shall be uniform and
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19 practical in nature for each respective license and shall be
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20 sufficiently strict to test the qualifications and fitness of the
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21 applicants for licenses. Examinations shall be in whole or in part
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22 in writing. The Committee shall conduct examinations twice a year
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23 and at such other times as it deems necessary.
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 1 B. Any applicant initially failing to pass the examination
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2 shall not be permitted to take another examination for a period of
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3 thirty (30) days. Any applicant subsequently failing to pass the
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4 examination shall not be permitted to take another examination for a
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5 period of ninety (90) days The maximum grade value of each part of
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6 any such examination shall be one hundred (100) points. A passing
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7 score shall be seventy percent (70%) or higher on each part. Any
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8 applicant failing to pass the examination shall not be permitted to
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9 take another examination for a period of thirty (30) days.
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10 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1688, is
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11 amended to read as follows:
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12 Section 1688. A. No license shall be issued for longer than
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13 one (1) year, and all licenses shall expire on the last day in the
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14 birth month of the licensee. A license may be renewed upon
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15 application and payment of fees thirty (30) days preceding or
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16 following the date the license is due. Licenses renewed more than
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17 thirty (30) days following the date of expiration may be renewed
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18 only upon application and payment of all required fees and payment
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19 of any penalty for late renewal established by the Board and upon
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20 compliance with any applicable continuing education requirements
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21 established by the Board and the Electrical License Act. No penalty
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22 for late renewal shall be charged to any holder of a license which
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23 expires while the holder is in military service, if an application
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 1 for renewal is made within one (1) year following the service
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2 discharge of the holder.
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3 B. No journeyman or contractor license shall be renewed unless
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4 the licensee has completed the required hours of continuing
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5 education, as determined and approved by the Committee of Electrical
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6 Examiners and approved by the Construction Industries Board.
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7 C. An apprentice registration certificate or a student intern
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8 registration certificate shall be issued for one (1) year, at which
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9 time the apprentice may reregister upon meeting the requirements of
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10 the Construction Industries Board and paying the renewal fee An
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11 apprentice registration certificate or a student intern registration
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12 certificate shall be issued for one (1) year, at which time the
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13 apprentice may reregister upon meeting the requirements of the
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14 Construction Industries Board and paying the renewal fee.
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15 SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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16 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1688.1 of Title 59, unless there
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17 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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18 A. 1. Effective January 1, 2026, no contractor or journeyman
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19 license shall be renewed unless the licensee has completed twelve
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20 (12) hours of continuing education every three (3) years or thirty-
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21 six (36) months preceding the expiration date of the license or
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22 registration certificate. The continuing education course and
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23 instructor shall be approved in advance by the Committee of
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24 Electrical Examiners. Exceptions to advance approval, or post-
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 1 course approval, may be allowed by the Committee, or its designee,
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2 for substitute instructors in emergency situations when written
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3 notice of the emergency is provided to the Committee or its designee
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4 within seven (7) days of the course. The location of continuing
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5 education courses shall be at the discretion of the course provider
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6 and may be scheduled during the workday at the discretion of the
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7 course provider. The continuing education material shall cover six
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8 (6) hours of codes and revisions adopted by the Oklahoma Uniform
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9 Building Code Commission (OUBCC). The remaining six (6) hours may
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10 include the study of: electrical circuit theory and calculations,
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11 wiring methods, grounding and bonding, transformer and motor theory,
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12 electrical circuits and devices, control systems, alternative energy
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13 systems including energy storage, safety related to the electrical
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14 industry as defined by NFPA 70E, manufacturers' installation of
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15 equipment or parts, the Electrical License Act, the trade
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16 regulations as set forth in this act as well as the rules of the
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17 Construction Industries Board, and other trade subject matters
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18 approved by the Committee.
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19 2. Effective January 1, 2026, no apprentice shall be permitted
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20 to reregister unless the apprentice registrant has completed three
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21 (3) hours of continuing education every year preceding the
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22 expiration date of the registration certificate. The continuing
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23 education course and instructor shall be approved in advance by the
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24 Committee. Exceptions to advance approval, or post-course approval,
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 1 may be allowed by the Committee, or its designee, for substitute
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2 instructors in emergency situations when written notice of the
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3 emergency is provided to the Committee or its designee within seven
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4 (7) days of the course. The location of continuing education
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5 courses shall be at the discretion of the course provider and may be
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6 scheduled during the workday at the discretion of the course
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7 provider. The continuing education material shall cover a
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8 combination of the codes and revisions adopted by the OUBCC,
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9 Oklahoma electrical industry regulations as well as the rules of the
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10 Construction Industries Board, and "electrical safety" as defined by
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11 NFPA 70E, other trade subject matters approved by the Committee, or
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12 approved continuing education for the contractor or journeyman.
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13 Notwithstanding the provisions of this subsection, if an apprentice
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14 is a student apprentice or is enrolled and attending an approved
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15 course, the continuing education shall not be required.
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16 B. The Construction Industries Board shall amend its rules,
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17 wherever applicable, to conform to the provisions of the Electrical
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18 License Act.
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19 SECTION 4. This act shall become effective November 1, 2024.
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21 59-2-8584 LRB 01/16/24
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