Colorado 2025 Regular Session

Colorado House Bill HB1284 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		First Regular Session
2	2		Seventy-fifth General Assembly
3	3		STATE OF COLORADO
4		-	~~REENGROSSED~~
5		-	This Version Includes All Amendments
6		-	~~Adopted~~ in the House of Introduction
	4	+	ENGROSSED
	5	+	This Version Includes All Amendments Adopted
	6	+	on Second Reading in the House of Introduction
7	7		LLS NO. 25-0509.01 Josh Schultz x5486
8	8		HOUSE BILL 25-1284
9	9		House Committees Senate Committees
10	10		Business Affairs & Labor
11	11		Appropriations
12	12		A BILL FOR AN ACT
13	13		C
14	14		ONCERNING THE REGULATION OF APPRENTICES IN LICENSED TRADES .101
15	15		Bill Summary
16	16		(Note: This summary applies to this bill as introduced and does
17	17		not reflect any amendments that may be subsequently adopted. If this bill
18	18		passes third reading in the house of introduction, a bill summary that
19	19		applies to the reengrossed version of this bill will be available at
20	20		http://leg.colorado.gov
21	21		.)
22	22		Current law requires an electrical employer, plumbing employer,
23	23		or apprenticeship program registered with the United States department
24	24		of labor or a state apprenticeship agency recognized by the United States
25	25		department of labor that employs an apprentice in this state (employer) to
26	26		register an apprentice with the employer's respective governing board
27	27		(board) within 30 days after beginning employment. When an apprentice
28	28		is no longer employed as an apprentice, the bill requires the employer to
29	29		remove the apprentice from the apprenticeship program and notify the
30	30		HOUSE
31		-	3rd Reading Unamended
32		-	April 21, 2025
33		-	HOUSE
34	31		Amended 2nd Reading
35	32		April 17, 2025
36	33		HOUSE SPONSORSHIP
37		-	Duran, Boesenecker, Clifford, English, Hamrick, Jackson, Lieder, Lindsay, Lindstedt,
38		-	Marshall, Story, Titone, Woodrow
	34	+	Duran,
39	35		SENATE SPONSORSHIP
40	36		Sullivan,
41	37		Shading denotes HOUSE amendment. Double underlining denotes SENATE amendment.
42	38		Capital letters or bold & italic numbers indicate new material to be added to existing law.
43	39		Dashes through the words or numbers indicate deletions from existing law. applicable board of the termination of the employment no later than 30
44	40		days after the termination of the employment.
45	41		On and after January 1, 2027, an employer is also required to
46	42		renew an apprentice's registration with the employer's board at least once
47	43		every 12 months. The employer must provide specified information to the
48	44		board when renewing the apprentice's registration. The board may charge
49	45		a registration fee to pay for the costs of maintaining an apprenticeship
50	46		registration database.
51	47		An employer is prohibited from registering an apprentice's
52	48		registration with a board unless the apprentice is enrolled in an
53	49		apprenticeship program training the apprentice for an occupation
54	50		officially recognized by the United States department of labor as an
55	51		electrical occupation for an electrical apprenticeship or a plumbing
56	52		occupation for a plumbing apprenticeship. Each calendar quarter, the state
57	53		apprenticeship agency shall publish a list of the apprenticeship programs
58	54		that train apprentices for an occupation officially recognized by the
59	55		United States department of labor as an electrical occupation or a
60	56		plumbing occupation.
61	57		On or before July 1, 2026, the bill requires the state apprenticeship
62	58		agency and the department of regulatory agencies to establish
63	59		data-sharing agreements and policies to enable the entities to determine
64	60		if there are apprentices registered with a board who are enrolled to be
65	61		trained for occupations other than electrical or plumbing occupations and
66	62		who are therefore ineligible for registration with the board. If the board
67	63		cannot verify that an apprentice is eligible to be registered as an
68	64		apprentice within 30 days after notice of noncompliance, the board shall
69	65		remove the apprentice's registration with the board, and the noncompliant
70	66		apprentice shall not perform work as a plumbing or electrical apprentice
71	67		in the state.
72	68		An employer of an electrical apprentice may authorize the
73	69		electrical apprentice to take the residential wireman's license examination
74	70		instead of the journeyman electrician license examination if:
75	71		! The employer determines that the relevant practical
76	72		experience of the apprentice is best suited to pursue the
77	73		residential wireman's license instead of a journeyman
78	74		electrician license; or
79	75		! The employer determines that the apprentice would be
80	76		more likely to achieve an electrical license by pursuing a
81	77		residential wireman's license.
82	78		If an electrical apprentice has failed to pass a license examination
83	79		in 2 consecutive 3-year periods, the apprentice may request an exemption
84	80		from the board from future examination requirements. The board shall
85	81		grant the exemption if:
86	82		! The board determines that the apprentice has legitimate
87	83		educational or professional circumstances that justify the
88	84		1284
89	85		-2- exemption; or
90	86		! The apprentice has passed the residential wireman's license
91	87		examination and is only performing residential electrical
92	88		work.
93	89		An employer of a plumbing apprentice may authorize the plumbing
94	90		apprentice to take the residential plumber's license examination instead
95	91		of the journeyworker plumber's license examination if:
96	92		! The employer determines that the relevant practical
97	93		experience of the apprentice is best suited to pursue the
98	94		residential plumber's license instead of a journeyworker
99	95		plumber's license; or
100	96		! The employer determines that the apprentice would be
101	97		more likely to achieve a plumber's license by pursuing a
102	98		residential plumber's license.
103	99		If a plumbing apprentice has failed to pass a license examination
104	100		in 2 consecutive 2-year periods, the plumbing apprentice may request an
105	101		exemption from the board from future examination requirements. The
106	102		board shall grant the exemption if:
107	103		! The board determines that the apprentice has legitimate
108	104		educational or professional circumstances that justify the
109	105		exemption; or
110	106		! The apprentice has passed the residential plumber's license
111	107		examination and is only performing residential plumbing
112	108		work.
113	109		Current law requires that, if the cumulative training and classroom
114	110		hours of an apprentice are not properly reported to the board or if an
115	111		apprentice fails to take a license examination within a specified time
116	112		frame, the board shall suspend the apprentice's license. The bill allows the
117	113		board to instead declare the apprentice's registration status "inactive" and
118	114		creates procedures for the board to restore the apprentice's registration
119	115		status to "active".
120	116		A board may sanction an employer that consistently and willfully
121	117		demonstrates a lack of compliance or whose apprentices show a
122	118		significant pattern of noncompliance with the bill.
123	119		Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:1
124	120		SECTION 1. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 12-115-115, add2
125	121		(3.5) as follows:3
126	122		12-115-115. Apprentices - supervision - registration -4
127	123		data-sharing agreement - discipline - rules. (3.5) (a) (I) AN5
128	124		1284-3- ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR SHALL NOT REGISTER WITH THE BOARD1
129	125		PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (3) OF THIS SECTION AN APPRENTICE WHO IS IN2
130	126		A CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM REGISTERED WITH3
131	127		THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OR A STATE APPRENTICESHIP4
132	128		AGENCY RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR5
133	129		UNLESS THE APPRENTICE IS ENROLLED IN AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM6
134	130		TRAINING THE APPRENTICE FOR AN OCCUPATION OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED7
135	131		BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR AS AN ELECTRICAL8
136	132		OCCUPATION, AS DEFINED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF9
137	133		LABOR, BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS, OCCUPATIONAL EMPLOYMENT AND10
138	134		WAGE STATISTICS OCCUPATION CODE 47.2111.11
139	135		(II) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2027, THE STATE APPRENTICESHIP12
140	136		AGENCY AND THE DEPARTMENT, IF EXISTING RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE13
141	137		OR IF THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES SUFFICIENT GIFTS, GRANTS, OR14
142	138		DONATIONS PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (7) OF THIS SECTION, SHALL15
143	139		ESTABLISH A DATA-SHARING AGREEMENT TO ALLOW VERIFICATION OF16
144	140		ELIGIBILITY FOR REGISTRATION WITH THE BOARD PURSUANT TO17
145	141		SUBSECTION (3.5)(a)(I) OF THIS SECTION.18
146	142		(b) (I) IF THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT AN APPRENTICE IS NOT IN19
147	143		COMPLIANCE WITH SUBSECTION (3.5)(a) OF THIS SECTION, THE BOARD20
148	144		SHALL NOTIFY THE ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR THAT REGISTERED THE21
149	145		APPRENTICE WITH THE BOARD. WITHIN THIRTY DAYS AFTER NOTIFICATION22
150	146		OF NONCOMPLIANCE, THE ELECTRICAL CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE23
151	147		PROOF THAT THE APPRENTICE IS ELIGIBLE TO BE REGISTERED AS AN24
152	148		ELECTRICAL APPRENTICE WITH THE BOARD . IF THE BOARD VERIFIES WITHIN25
153	149		SIXTY DAYS AFTER NOTIFICATION OF NONCOMPLIANCE THAT THE26
154	150		APPRENTICE IS ELIGIBLE TO BE REGISTERED AS AN ELECTRICAL27
155	151		1284
156	152		-4- APPRENTICE, THE APPRENTICE WILL REMAIN REGISTERED WITH THE BOARD .1
157	153		(II) IF THE BOARD CANNOT VERIFY THAT AN APPRENTICE IS2
158	154		ELIGIBLE TO BE REGISTERED AS AN ELECTRICAL APPRENTICE WITHIN SIXTY3
159	155		DAYS AFTER NOTICE OF NONCOMPLIANCE PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION4
160	156		(3.5)(b)(I) OF THIS SECTION, THE BOARD SHALL REMOVE THE APPRENTICE 'S5
161	157		REGISTRATION WITH THE BOARD, AND THE NONCOMPLIANT APPRENTICE6
162	158		SHALL NOT PERFORM WORK AS AN ELECTRICAL APPRENTICE IN THE STATE.7
163	159		(III) THIS SUBSECTION (3.5) DOES NOT APPLY TO AN ELECTRICAL8
164	160		APPRENTICE WHOSE TRAINING IS PROVIDED DIRECTLY BY THE ELECTRICAL9
165	161		CONTRACTOR OR ANOTHER ELECTRICAL TRAINING PROGRAM THAT IS NOT10
166	162		AN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM REGISTERED WITH THE UNITED STATES11
167	163		DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OR A STATE APPRENTICESHIP AGENCY .12
168	164		SECTION 2. In Colorado Revised Statutes, 12-155-124, add13
169	165		(3.5) as follows:14
170	166		12-155-124. Apprentices - registration - data-sharing15
171	167		agreement - discipline - rules. (3.5) (a) (I) A REGISTERED PLUMBING16
172	168		CONTRACTOR SHALL NOT REGISTER WITH THE BOARD PURSUANT TO17
173	169		SUBSECTION (3) OF THIS SECTION A PLUMBING APPRENTICE WHO IS IN A18
174	170		CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM REGISTERED WITH19
175	171		THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OR A STATE APPRENTICESHIP20
176	172		AGENCY RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR21
177	173		UNLESS THE PLUMBING APPRENTICE IS ENROLLED IN AN APPRENTICESHIP22
178	174		PROGRAM TRAINING THE PLUMBING APPRENTICE FOR AN OCCUPATION23
179	175		OFFICIALLY RECOGNIZED BY THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR24
180	176		AS A PLUMBING OR MECHANICAL -RELATED OCCUPATION, AS DEFINED BY25
181	177		THE UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, BUREAU OF LABOR26
182	178		STATISTICS, OCCUPATIONAL EMPLOYMENT AND WAGE STATISTICS27
183	179		1284
184	180		-5- OCCUPATION CODES 17.3013, 47.2152, OR 49.9021.1
185	181		(II) ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2027, THE STATE APPRENTICESHIP2
186	182		AGENCY AND THE DEPARTMENT, IF EXISTING RESOURCES ARE AVAILABLE3
187	183		OR IF THE DEPARTMENT RECEIVES SUFFICIENT GIFTS , GRANTS, OR4
188	184		DONATIONS PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION (8) OF THIS SECTION, SHALL5
189	185		ESTABLISH A DATA-SHARING AGREEMENT TO ALLOW VERIFICATION OF6
190	186		ELIGIBILITY FOR REGISTRATION WITH THE BOARD PURSUANT TO7
191	187		SUBSECTION (3.5)(a)(I) OF THIS SECTION.8
192	188		(b) (I) IF THE BOARD DETERMINES THAT A PLUMBING APPRENTICE9
193	189		IS NOT IN COMPLIANCE WITH SUBSECTION (3.5)(a) OF THIS SECTION, THE10
194	190		BOARD SHALL NOTIFY THE PLUMBING CONTRACTOR THAT REGISTERED THE11
195	191		APPRENTICE WITH THE BOARD. WITHIN THIRTY DAYS AFTER NOTIFICATION12
196	192		OF NONCOMPLIANCE, THE PLUMBING CONTRACTOR SHALL PROVIDE PROOF13
197	193		THAT THE APPRENTICE IS ELIGIBLE TO BE REGISTERED AS A PLUMBING14
198	194		APPRENTICE WITH THE BOARD. IF THE BOARD VERIFIES WITHIN SIXTY DAYS15
199	195		AFTER NOTIFICATION OF NONCOMPLIANCE THAT THE PLUMBING16
200	196		APPRENTICE IS ELIGIBLE TO BE REGISTERED AS A PLUMBING APPRENTICE,17
201	197		THE PLUMBING APPRENTICE WILL REMAIN REGISTERED WITH THE BOARD.18
202	198		(II) IF THE BOARD CANNOT VERIFY THAT A PLUMBING APPRENTICE19
203	199		IS ELIGIBLE TO BE REGISTERED AS A PLUMBING APPRENTICE WITHIN SIXTY20
204	200		DAYS AFTER NOTICE OF NONCOMPLIANCE PURSUANT TO SUBSECTION21
205	201		(3.5)(b)(I) OF THIS SECTION, THE BOARD SHALL REMOVE THE PLUMBING22
206	202		APPRENTICE'S REGISTRATION WITH THE BOARD, AND THE NONCOMPLIANT23
207	203		PLUMBING APPRENTICE SHALL NOT PERFORM WORK AS A PLUMBING24
208	204		APPRENTICE IN THE STATE.25
209	205		(III) THIS SUBSECTION (3.5) DOES NOT APPLY TO A PLUMBING26
210	206		APPRENTICE WHOSE TRAINING IS PROVIDED DIRECTLY BY THE PLUMBING27
211	207		1284
212	208		-6- CONTRACTOR OR ANOTHER PLUMBING TRAINING PROGRAM THAT IS NOT AN1
213	209		APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM REGISTERED WITH THE UNITED STATES2
214	210		DEPARTMENT OF LABOR OR A STATE APPRENTICESHIP AGENCY .3
215	211		SECTION 3. Act subject to petition - effective date. This act4
216	212		takes effect January 1, 2027; except that, if a referendum petition is filed5
217	213		pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this6
218	214		act or an item, section, or part of this act within the ninety-day period7
219	215		after final adjournment of the general assembly, then the act, item,8
220	216		section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the9
221	217		general election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take10
222	218		effect January 1, 2027, or on the date of the official declaration of the11
223	219		vote thereon by the governor, whichever is later.12
224	220		1284
225	221		-7-