Bill Text: TX HB4296 | 2019-2020 | 86th Legislature | Engrossed
Bill Title: Relating to the regulation of plumbing, including the requirements to obtain a tradesman plumber-limited license.
Spectrum: Moderate Partisan Bill (Republican 34-4)
Status: (Engrossed - Dead) 2019-05-14 - No action taken in committee [HB4296 Detail]
Download: Texas-2019-HB4296-Engrossed.html
By: Schaefer, Guillen, Phelan, Morrison, | H.B. No. 4296 | |
King of Parker, et al. |
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relating to the regulation of plumbing, including the requirements | ||
to obtain a tradesman plumber-limited license. | ||
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
SECTION 1. Section 1301.002(10), Occupations Code, is | ||
amended to read as follows: | ||
(10) "Tradesman plumber-limited license holder" means | ||
a person who: | ||
(A) has: | ||
(i) completed at least 4,000 hours working | ||
under the direct supervision of a journeyman or master plumber as a | ||
plumber's apprentice; or | ||
(ii) successfully completed a coherent | ||
sequence of courses in the plumbing trade that are offered through a | ||
career and technology education program, as described by Section | ||
1301.3542; | ||
(B) has passed the required examination; | ||
(C) constructs and installs plumbing for | ||
one-family or two-family dwellings under the supervision of a | ||
responsible master plumber; and | ||
(D) has fulfilled the other requirements of the | ||
board. | ||
SECTION 2. Subchapter G, Chapter 1301, Occupations Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 1301.3542 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 1301.3542. CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR | ||
TRADESMAN PLUMBER-LIMITED LICENSE; INSTRUCTORS. (a) | ||
Notwithstanding Section 1301.354, a person who successfully | ||
completes a coherent sequence of courses in the plumbing trade that | ||
are offered through a career and technology education program under | ||
Subchapter F, Chapter 29, Education Code, may apply for and take an | ||
examination for a license as a tradesman plumber-limited license | ||
holder. The board may not require the person to register as a | ||
plumber's apprentice, pay any fee, or comply with Section 1301.354 | ||
or any other requirement of this chapter that applies to a person's | ||
eligibility to apply for and take the examination. | ||
(b) A student of any age enrolled in a high school is | ||
eligible to take the sequence of courses described by Subsection | ||
(a) without registering as a plumber's apprentice, paying any | ||
registration fee, or complying with Section 1301.354 or | ||
any other | ||
requirement of this chapter that applies to enrolling or | ||
participating in those courses. | ||
(c) If an applicant described by Subsection (a) | ||
successfully passes the examination for a license as a tradesman | ||
plumber-limited license holder, the board shall issue the applicant | ||
the license. | ||
(d) The board shall develop the courses described by | ||
Subsection (a). The courses must be approved by the State Board of | ||
Education. | ||
(e) The courses must include an appropriate number of hours | ||
of classroom instruction and a practical component. The board may | ||
credit on-the-job training toward meeting the requirements under | ||
the practical component. | ||
(f) A person may not provide instruction in a career and | ||
technology education program described by this section unless the | ||
person is licensed under this chapter as a master plumber, | ||
journeyman plumber, or plumbing inspector. | ||
(g) A person described by Subsection (f) may provide the | ||
instruction in a full-time or part-time capacity as an employee, | ||
contractor, or volunteer of a high school. | ||
(h) The board may adopt rules necessary to implement this | ||
section, including procedures to verify a student's successful | ||
completion of the sequence of courses described by Subsection (a). | ||
SECTION 3. Section 1301.401, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 1301.401. ANNUAL RENEWAL REQUIRED; EXCEPTION. (a) A | ||
license or registration under this chapter is valid for one year. | ||
Except as provided by Subsection (c), on [ |
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required fee, a license may be renewed annually. | ||
(b) The board by rule may adopt a system under which | ||
licenses, endorsements, and registrations expire on various dates | ||
during the year. | ||
(c) A person who is employed by, under contract with, or | ||
engaged as a volunteer by a school to provide instruction in a | ||
career and technology education program described by Section | ||
1301.3542 and provides meaningful course instruction in the | ||
program, as determined under rules adopted under Section 1301.407, | ||
is not required to pay a fee to renew the person's license. | ||
SECTION 4. Section 1301.404, Occupations Code, is amended | ||
by adding Subsection (g) to read as follows: | ||
(g) A person who is employed by, under contract with, or | ||
engaged as a volunteer by a school to provide instruction in a | ||
career and technology education program described by Section | ||
1301.3542 and provides meaningful course instruction in the | ||
program, as determined under rules adopted under Section 1301.407, | ||
may renew the person's license and any endorsement without | ||
complying with Subsection (b) if the person completes the hours of | ||
continuing professional education required by that subsection | ||
every three years. | ||
SECTION 5. Subchapter H, Chapter 1301, Occupations Code, is | ||
amended by adding Section 1301.407 to read as follows: | ||
Sec. 1301.407. PROCEDURES FOR VERIFYING CERTAIN | ||
EXEMPTIONS. The board, in consultation with the State Board of | ||
Education, may adopt rules as necessary to verify whether a person | ||
qualifies for an exemption from the required renewal fee, as | ||
described by Section 1301.401(c), or an exemption from required | ||
continuing professional education, as described by Section | ||
1301.404(g), including rules providing for obtaining and | ||
evaluating written verification from the applicable school of the | ||
person's provision of meaningful course instruction in a career and | ||
technology education program described by Section 1301.3542. | ||
SECTION 6. As soon as practicable after the effective date | ||
of this Act, the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners shall adopt | ||
rules necessary to implement the changes in law made by this Act to | ||
Chapter 1301, Occupations Code. | ||
SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2019. |