HLS 22RS-469 ENGROSSED
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 300
BY REPRESENTATIVES DEVILLIER, GOUDEAU, JORDAN, AND THOMAS
PLUMBERS: Provides relative to licensure for plumbers
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 37:1368(C) and (D), 1371(A)(1), and 1380(A), and to enact R.S.
3 37:1368(K), relative to licensure for plumbers; to remove references to restricted
4 licensure; to require issuance of licenses in certain circumstances; to provide criteria
5 for issuance of certain licenses; to make technical changes; and to provide for related
6 matters.
7Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 37:1368(C) and (D), 1371(A)(1), and 1380(A) are hereby amended
9and reenacted and R.S. 37:1368(K) is hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 §1368. Issuance of tradesman, journeyman, and master plumber's license; medical
11 gas piping and installation license; medical gas and vacuum systems verifier
12 license; water supply protection specialist endorsement; exemption; gas fitter
13 * * *
14 C. Any master plumber who has not been licensed by the board but who
15 worked as a locally licensed master plumber prior to July 1, 1990, in a municipal or
16 other local jurisdiction that previously licensed master plumbers shall be allowed to
17 apply for and receive, upon payment of a reasonable fee set by the board, a restricted
18 master plumber's license permitting him to continue working as a master plumber,
19 but only in the jurisdiction in which he was previously locally licensed. Any person
20 holding such a restricted master plumber's license shall not perform the work of a
Page 1 of 4
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 22RS-469 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 300
1 journeyman plumber unless licensed by the board. The board may adopt regulations
2 to implement this Subsection. Any person holding a restricted master plumber's
3 license shall not perform the work of a journeyman plumber unless he currently
4 possesses or previously possessed a journeyman plumber's license issued by the
5 board Any individual who maintained a restricted journeyman's license or restricted
6 master plumber's license prior to January 1, 2023, and maintained compliance with
7 the provisions of R.S. 37:1371 and 1380 through January 1, 2023, shall be issued a
8 journeyman's license or master plumber's license upon written request to the board.
9 D. Any journeyman plumber licensed by the board who operated a plumbing
10 business prior to July 1, 1990, in a municipal or other local jurisdiction that did not
11 previously license master plumbers, shall be allowed to apply for and receive, upon
12 payment of a reasonable fee set by the board, a restricted master plumber's license
13 permitting him to continue working as a master plumber, but only in the applicable
14 jurisdiction. The board may adopt regulations to implement this Subsection Any
15 individual who was issued a restricted journeyman's license or restricted master
16 plumber's license prior to January 1, 2023, but did not maintain such license due to
17 a lack of compliance with R.S. 37:1371 and 1380, shall be treated as if he was
18 inactive upon his last day of compliance with such provisions. Upon submission of
19 a written request to the board, payment of renewal fees in accordance with R.S.
20 37:1371(A), and submission of a written showing of compliance with R.S. 37:1380,
21 the board shall issue the individual a journeyman's license, if the individual
22 previously held a restricted journeyman's license or a master plumber's license, if the
23 individual previously held a restricted master plumber's license.
24 * * *
25 K. The board may refuse to grant a journeyman or master plumber's license
26 to an individual who previously maintained a restricted journeyman or restricted
27 master plumber's license, if the individual failed to comply with additional licensing
28 requirements not provided for in R.S. 37:1371 and 1380.
29 * * *
Page 2 of 4
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 22RS-469 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 300
1 §1371. Fees
2 A.(1) The board may fix and charge reasonable examination, licensing, and
3 renewal fees for tradesman, journeyman, and master plumbers, temporary permit
4 fees for journeyman plumbers, restricted license fees for journeyman and master
5 plumbers, and renewal fees for inactive master plumbers. The board may fix and
6 charge reasonable examination, licensing, and renewal fees for persons engaged in
7 the work or business of medical gas piping installation and for persons engaged in
8 the work or business of a medical gas and vacuum system verifier. The board may
9 fix and charge reasonable examination, licensing, and renewal fees associated with
10 endorsements issued to journeyman or master plumbers relative to the work of a
11 water supply protection specialist. The board may also fix and charge a reasonable
12 registration fee for apprentice plumbers. These fees shall not exceed the amount
13 required to maintain the board and pay the expenses of operating the board and
14 enforcing the provisions of this Chapter.
15 * * *
16 §1380. Insurance requirements for master plumbers
17 A. No master plumber or restricted master plumber license shall be issued,
18 renewed, or revived until the applicant has provided proof acceptable to the board
19 that insurance has been issued to the employing entity which is designated in
20 accordance with R.S. 37:1367 by an insurer authorized to do business in this state.
21 * * *
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 300 Engrossed 2022 Regular Session DeVillier
Abstract: Eliminates the restricted journeyman plumber license and restricted master
plumber licenses as options for licensure of plumbers.
Present law requires persons engaged in the business of plumbing to hold a valid license
issued by the state plumbing board. Proposed law retains present law.
Page 3 of 4
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions. HLS 22RS-469 ENGROSSED
HB NO. 300
Present law allows plumbers to obtain licensure in several ways with varying degrees of
education, experience, and standardized certification required for varying licenses.
Two licenses provided for in present law are the restricted journeyman plumber license and
restricted master plumber license. Both of these licenses are issued based on plumbing
activity the applicant engaged in prior to 1990.
Proposed law removes the restricted journeyman and restricted master plumbing licenses
from the licensure options available under present law.
Proposed law removes references to the licenses being removed.
Proposed law allows a person who has held a restricted journeyman license or a restricted
master plumbing license prior to Jan. 1, 2023, to be issued a journeyman license or a master
plumbing license, if the person has been in compliance with certain provisions of present law
(R.S. 37:1371 and 1380).
Proposed law allows a person who has held a restricted journeyman license or a restricted
master plumbing license prior to Jan. 1, 2023, but who has not been in compliance with
certain provisions of present law (R.S. 37:1371 and 1380), to be issued a journeyman license
or a master plumbing license, if the person submits a written request to the board, pays
renewal fees pursuant to present law (R.S.37:1371(A)), and provides a written showing of
compliance with present law (R.S. 37:1380), relative to requisite insurance coverage.
Proposed law allows the board to refuse to grant a license to an individual based upon the
applicants failure to comply with additional licensing requirements not provided for in
present law (R.S. 37:1371 and 1380).
(Amends R.S. 37:1368(C) and (D), 1371(A)(1), and 1380(A); Adds R.S. 37:1368(K))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Commerce to the
original bill:
1. Add provisions allowing persons holding either of the two restricted licenses,
which are being removed from present law, to receive an unrestricted license if
certain conditions are met.
2. Add a provision specifying that the board may deny issuance of an unrestricted
license for failure to comply with any additional licensing requirements not
provided for in present law.
3. Make technical changes.
Page 4 of 4
CODING: Words in struck through type are deletions from existing law; words underscored
are additions.