The bill amends RCW 19.28.191 to update the eligibility requirements for various electrician certifications, including the master journey level electrician, journey level electrician, master specialty electrician, and specialty electrician certificates of competency. Key changes include the requirement for applicants to have successfully completed an 8,000-hour electrical construction trade apprenticeship program, with specific stipulations regarding the number of hours that must be in new industrial or commercial installations. The bill also clarifies that specialty electricians with less than 4,000 hours of work experience cannot credit that time towards qualifying as a journey level electrician, while those with a 4,000-hour requirement can credit their experience towards the journey level certification.

Additionally, the bill introduces new provisions for applicants with out-of-state experience and those who have completed electrical training programs in the armed services. It allows for substitutions of technical school training for work experience and establishes criteria for evaluating the equivalence of training programs. The bill emphasizes that no other eligibility requirements may be imposed and sets a deadline for noncertified individuals to work unsupervised. The act is declared necessary for the immediate preservation of public peace, health, or safety, and is set to take effect on July 1, 2023.

Statutes affected:
Original Bill: 19.28.191