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A5261
ASSEMBLY, No. 5261
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
INTRODUCED JUNE 15, 2026
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman� KENYATTA STEWART
District 35 (Bergen and Passaic)
SYNOPSIS
���� Establishes alternate requirements for certain NJT
employees to qualify for electrical contractor�s license examination.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� As introduced.
��
An Act
concerning certain electrical contractor qualifications
and amending P.L.1962, c.162.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.��� Section 9 of P.L.1962,
c.162 (C.45:5A-9) is amended to read as follows:
���� 9.��� (a) �On or after July 1,
1963, no person shall advertise, enter into, engage in or work in business as
an electrical contractor, unless such person has secured a business permit and
such person or an officer, partner or employee who is or will be actively engaged
in the business for which a business permit is sought has obtained an
electrical contractor's license from the board in accordance with the
provisions of this act, and such licensee shall assume full responsibility for
inspection and supervision of all electrical work to be performed by the
permittee in compliance with recognized safety standards.� A licensed
electrical contractor shall not be entitled to qualify more than one person for
a business permit.
���� Any single act or transaction
shall constitute engaging in the business of electrical contracting within the
meaning of this chapter.
���� (b)�� No person shall be
granted an electrical contractor's license unless
[
he
]
the person
shall first
establish
[
his
]
the
person�s
qualifications therefor and shall take and pass the examination
for electrical contractors.� An applicant for such examination shall have been
employed or engaged in the business of electrical construction and installation
for a period of not less than five years preceding the time of such
application.� During the five-year period
,
the applicant shall spend one
year as a Class A journeyman electrician and four years in an electrical
apprenticeship program accredited and approved by the United States Department
of Labor, with proof of passage and successful completion of this program while
actively engaged or employed as a Class A electrical apprentice.� For a period
of four years following the effective date of P.L.2018, c.155, each year of
employment in the electrical trade or enrollment in a formal electrical
apprenticeship program completed prior to the effective date of P.L.2018, c.155
[
,
]
shall be
accepted by the board in lieu of one year's enrollment in an electrical
apprenticeship program accredited and approved by the United States Department
of Labor, up to a maximum total credit of four years.
����
However, an applicant for
the examination for a license as an electrical contractor who is employed by
the New Jersey Transit Corporation may establish, to the satisfaction of the
board, that the applicant has the necessary practical experience to qualify to
take the examination without having completed an electrical apprenticeship
program accredited and approved by the United States Department of Labor.� For
this exception to apply, an applicant for the examination who is employed by
the New Jersey Transit Corporation shall have been employed or engaged in the
business of electrical construction and installation for a period of not less
than five years preceding the time of the application.� During the five-year
period, the applicant who is employed by the New Jersey Transit Corporation
shall spend one year as a Class A journeyman electrician and the applicant
shall submit to the board, in lieu of proof of passage and successful
completion of an electrical apprenticeship program accredited and approved by
the United States Department of Labor, proof of the applicant�s work performed
within the scope of the applicant�s employment, and internal training completed
through the applicant�s employment, with the New Jersey Transit Corporation for
four years.
���� The examination shall be so
designed as to establish the competence and qualification of the applicant to
perform and supervise the various phases of electrical contracting work.� Any
applicant who shall fail to pass such examination shall not be eligible to
retake an examination until six months from the date of such failure.
���� (c)�� An applicant for an
examination for a license as an electrical contractor shall apply to the board
for permission to take such examination upon forms provided by the board and
shall provide the board with such information as shall be necessary to establish
[
his
]
the
applicant�s
qualifications to take the examination.� The applicant for an
initial examination shall pay a fee to the board of
[
$25.00
]
$25
.� An applicant for
re-examination shall pay a fee to the board of
[
$15.00
]
$15
.� Such fees shall not
be refundable.
(cf:� P.L.2021, c.479, s.4)
���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.
STATEMENT
���� This bill establishes
alternative qualification requirements for certain New Jersey Transit
Corporation (NJT) employees applying to take the examination for a license as
an electrical contractor (license examination).
���� The bill provides that an NJT
employee applying to take the license examination (applicant) may establish, to
the satisfaction of the Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors (board),
that the applicant has the necessary practical experience to qualify to take
the license examination without having completed an electrical apprenticeship
program accredited and approved by the United States Department of Labor (US
DOL) if the applicant meets certain requirements.� Specifically, under the
bill, an applicant is required to be employed or engaged in the business of
electrical construction and installation for a period of not less than five
years preceding the time of the license examination application. �During the
five-year period, the applicant is required to spend one year as a Class A
journeyman electrician and submit to the board, in lieu of proof of passage and
successful completion of an electrical apprenticeship program accredited and
approved by the US DOL, proof of the work performed within the scope of the
applicant�s employment and internal training with the NJT for four years.� The
board is to determine if the board is satisfied, based on the proof submitted
by the applicant, that the applicant has the necessary practical experience to
qualify to take the license examination without having completed an electrical
apprenticeship program accredited and approved by the US DOL.
���� Under current law, to qualify
to take the license examination, an individual is required to have been
employed or engaged in the business of electrical construction and installation
for a period of five years. �During the five-year period, the applicant is
required to spend one year as a Class A journeyman electrician and four years
in an electrical apprenticeship program accredited and approved by the US DOL,
with proof of passage and successful completion of this program while actively
engaged or employed as a Class A electrical apprentice.