Specialty electricians

AN ACT Relating to allowing a specialty electrician to continue 1
working under a valid specialty certificate of competency while 2
enrolled in a journey level apprenticeship program; and amending RCW 3
19.28.161. 4
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:5
Sec. 1. RCW 19.28.161 and 2018 c 249 s 2 are each amended to 6
read as follows: 7
(1) No person may engage in the electrical construction trade 8
without having a valid master journey level electrician certificate 9
of competency, journey level electrician certificate of competency, 10
master specialty electrician certificate of competency, or specialty 11
electrician certificate of competency issued by the department in 12
accordance with this chapter. Electrician certificate of competency 13
specialties include, but are not limited to: Residential, pump and 14
irrigation, limited energy system, signs, nonresidential maintenance, 15
restricted nonresidential maintenance, and appliance repair.16
(2)(a) A person who is: (i) Registered in an apprenticeship 17
program approved under chapter 49.04 RCW or equivalent apprenticeship 18
program approved by the department for the electrical construction 19
trade; (ii) learning the electrical construction trade while working 20
in a specialty; or (iii) learning the electrical construction trade 21
H-0721.1
HOUSE BILL 1533
State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session
By Representatives Schmidt, Ramel, and Reed
Read first time 01/23/25. Referred to Committee on Labor & Workplace
Standards.
p. 1 HB 1533
in a program described in RCW 19.28.191(1) (e) or (f) for a journey 1
level certificate of competency may work in the electrical 2
construction trade if supervised by a certified master journey level 3
electrician, journey level electrician, master specialty electrician 4
in that electrician's specialty, or specialty electrician in that 5
electrician's specialty. 6
(b) All apprentices and individuals learning the electrical 7
construction trade shall obtain an electrical training certificate 8
from the department. The certificate shall authorize the holder to 9
learn the electrical construction trade while under the direct 10
supervision of a master journey level electrician, journey level 11
electrician, master specialty electrician working in that 12
electrician's specialty, or specialty electrician working in that 13
electrician's specialty. The certificate may include a photograph of 14
the holder. The holder of the electrical training certificate shall 15
renew the certificate biennially. At the time of renewal, the holder 16
shall provide the department with an accurate list of the holder's 17
employers in the electrical construction industry for the previous 18
biennial period and the number of hours worked for each employer. The 19
holder shall also provide proof of ((forty-eight)) 48 hours of: 20
Approved classroom training covering this chapter, the national 21
electrical code, or electrical theory; or equivalent classroom 22
training taken as part of an approved apprenticeship program under 23
chapter 49.04 RCW or an approved electrical training program under 24
RCW 19.28.191(1)(e). A biennial fee shall be charged for the issuance 25
or renewal of the certificate. The department shall set the fee by 26
rule. The fee shall cover but not exceed the cost of administering 27
and enforcing the trainee certification and supervision requirements 28
of this chapter. 29
(c)(i) Apprentices and individuals learning the electrical 30
construction trade shall have their electrical training certificates 31
in their possession at all times that they are performing electrical 32
work. They shall show their certificates to an authorized 33
representative of the department at the representative's request.34
(ii) Unless working in a specialty, apprentices and individuals 35
learning the electrical construction trade must also have in their 36
possession proof of apprenticeship or training program registration. 37
They shall show their apprenticeship or training program registration 38
documents to an authorized representative of the department at the 39
representative's request. 40
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(3) Any person who has been issued an electrical training 1
certificate under this chapter may work: (a) If that person is under 2
supervision, and is (b) unless working in a specialty, (i) registered 3
in an approved journey level apprenticeship program, as appropriate; 4
or (ii) learning the electrical construction trade in a program 5
described in RCW 19.28.191(1)(e) for a journey level certificate of 6
competency. Supervision shall consist of a person being on the same 7
jobsite and under the control of either a certified master journey 8
level electrician, journey level electrician, master specialty 9
electrician working in that electrician's specialty, or specialty 10
electrician working in that electrician's specialty. Either a 11
certified master journey level electrician, journey level 12
electrician, master specialty electrician working in that 13
electrician's specialty, or specialty electrician working in that 14
electrician's specialty shall be on the same jobsite as the 15
noncertified individual for a minimum of ((seventy-five)) 75 percent 16
of each working day unless otherwise provided in this chapter.17
(4) The ratio of noncertified individuals to certified master 18
journey level electricians, journey level electricians, master 19
specialty electricians, or specialty electricians on any one jobsite 20
is as follows: 21
(a) When working as a specialty electrician, not more than two 22
noncertified individuals for every certified master specialty 23
electrician working in that electrician's specialty, specialty 24
electrician working in that electrician's specialty, master journey 25
level electrician, or journey level electrician, except that the 26
ratio requirements are one certified master specialty electrician 27
working in that electrician's specialty, specialty electrician 28
working in that electrician's specialty, master journey level 29
electrician, or journey level electrician working as a specialty 30
electrician to no more than four students enrolled in and working as 31
part of an electrical construction program at public community or 32
technical colleges, or not-for-profit nationally accredited trade or 33
technical schools licensed by the workforce training and education 34
coordinating board under chapter 28C.10 RCW. In meeting the ratio 35
requirements for students enrolled in an electrical construction 36
program at a trade school, a trade school may receive input and 37
advice from the electrical board; and 38
(b) When working as a journey level electrician, not more than 39
one noncertified individual for every certified master journey level 40
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electrician or journey level electrician, except that the ratio 1
requirements shall be one certified master journey level electrician 2
or journey level electrician to no more than four students enrolled 3
in and working as part of an electrical construction program at 4
public community or technical colleges, or not-for-profit nationally 5
accredited trade or technical schools licensed by the workforce 6
training and education coordinating board under chapter 28C.10 RCW. 7
In meeting the ratio requirements for students enrolled in an 8
electrical construction program at a trade school, a trade school may 9
receive input and advice from the electrical board.10
An individual who has a current training certificate and who has 11
successfully completed or is currently enrolled in an approved 12
apprenticeship program or in an electrical construction program at 13
public community or technical colleges, or not-for-profit nationally 14
accredited technical or trade schools licensed by the workforce 15
training and education coordinating board under chapter 28C.10 RCW, 16
may work without direct on-site supervision during the last six 17
months of meeting the practical experience requirements of this 18
chapter. 19
(5) For the residential (as specified in WAC 296-46B-920 (2)(a)), 20
pump and irrigation (as specified in WAC 296-46B-920 (2)(b)), sign (as 21
specified in WAC 296-46B-920 (2)(d)), limited energy (as specified in 22
WAC 296-46B-920 (2)(e)), nonresidential maintenance (as specified in 23
WAC 296-46B-920 (2)(g)), restricted nonresidential maintenance as 24
determined by the department in rule, or other new nonresidential 25
specialties, not including appliance repair, as determined by the 26
department in rule, either a master journey level electrician, 27
journey level electrician, master specialty electrician working in 28
that electrician's specialty, or specialty electrician working in 29
that electrician's specialty must be on the same jobsite as the 30
noncertified individual for a minimum of ((seventy-five)) 75 percent 31
of each working day. Other specialties must meet the requirements 32
specified in RCW 19.28.191(1)(d)(ii). When the ratio of certified 33
electricians to noncertified individuals on a jobsite is one 34
certified electrician to three or four noncertified individuals, the 35
certified electrician must: 36
(a) Directly supervise and instruct the noncertified individuals 37
and the certified electrician may not directly make or engage in an 38
electrical installation; and 39
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(b) Be on the same jobsite as the noncertified individual for a 1
minimum of ((one hundred)) 100 percent of each working day.2
(6) The electrical contractor shall accurately verify and attest 3
to the electrical trainee hours worked by electrical trainees on 4
behalf of the electrical contractor. 5
(7) The department shall adopt rules to allow a person with an 6
electrical training certificate for a journey level electrician 7
apprenticeship program to also work under his or her valid specialty 8
electrician certificate of competency issued by the department while 9
participating in the program if:10
(a) The person is participating in a program operated by an 11
apprenticeship committee representing a single employer;12
(b) The person performs the specialty work for the employer under 13
(a) of this subsection; and14
(c) The employer submits to the department a detailed attestation 15
of hours worked under the valid specialty electrician certificate of 16
competency on a quarterly basis.17
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