HBA-NRS C.S.H.B. 1505 77(R)BILL ANALYSIS Office of House Bill AnalysisC.S.H.B. 1505 By: Yarbrough Licensing & Administrative Procedures 4/10/2001 Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The Plumbing License Law (law) is a comprehensive licensing and regulatory act for the plumbing profession. To reflect the growing changes within the profession of plumbing, certain provisions within the law need to be updated. C.S.H.B. 1505 updates The Plumbing License Law, creates new programs, and expands the authority of the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners to better regulate the plumbing profession. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the opinion of the Office of House Bill Analysis that rulemaking authority is expressly delegated to the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners in SECTION 5 (Section 5, Article 6243-101, V.T.C.S.), SECTION 11 (Section 8C, Article 6243-101, V.T.C.S.), SECTION 14 (Section 12, Article 6243-101, V.T.C.S.), and SECTION 24. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 1505 amends The Plumbing License Law (law) relating to the regulation of the plumbing profession. The bill creates an apprenticeship program for persons wishing to become a journeyman plumber and requires such persons to register with the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (board) (SECTION 13). The bill establishes a tradesman plumbing-limited license for persons registered as apprentices and who have completed at least 4,000 hours of apprenticeship work required for a journeyman plumber license (SECTIONS 1 and 5). The bill creates a registration system for persons who perform plumbing-related work but do not qualify or wish to become a licensed plumber. Such persons include residential utilities installers, drain cleaners, or restricted drain cleaners. The bill requires the board to register such persons if they comply with this law (SECTIONS 5 and 8). C.S.H.B. 1505 provides the board with express authority to adopt rules and take other actions as the board deems necessary to administer this law including provisions relating to the new classes of registrants and licensees (SECTIONS 5, 9, 11, and 14). The bill requires that no person, whether as a tradesman plumber-limited licensee, plumber's apprentice, residential utilities installer, drain cleaner, drain cleanerrestricted registrant or otherwise to engage in, work at, or conduct the business of plumbing in this state or serve as a plumbing inspector unless the such a person is the holder of a valid license, endorsement, or registration (SECTION 16). The bill authorizes the board to appoint advisory committees as it considers necessary (SECTION 5). The bill authorizes the board to monitor insurance requirements for master plumbers and requires, rather than authorizes, the board to recognize, approve, and administer continuing education programs for licensees and endorsees (SECTIONS 5 and 17). C.S.H.B. 1505 also requires municipal plumbing inspections to be performed by licensed inspectors and provides that if the boundaries of a municipality and a municipal utility district overlap, only the affected municipality may perform a plumbing inspection and collect a permit fee (SECTION 17). The bill requires the board to adopt the required rules necessary to implement this law no later than January 1, 2002 (SECTION 24). EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2001. COMPARISON OF ORIGINAL TO SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 1505 modifies the original bill by changing the title of journeyman plumber-restricted licensee to tradesman plumber-limited licensee (SECTIONS 1, 5, 8, and 13). The substitute exempts the verification of medical gas and vacuum piping integrity and content from work requiring a plumbing license (SECTION 3). The substitute clarifies that a plumbing inspector who has a medical gas endorsement may inspect medical gas installations (SECTION 11). The substitute requires that no person is to engage in, work at, or conduct the business of plumbing in this state or serve as a plumbing inspector unless the person is the holder of a valid license, endorsement, or registration (SECTION 16).