HLS 22RS-1721 ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 932
BY REPRESENTATIVE HUVAL
PLUMBERS: Provides relative to licensure for plumbers
1 AN ACT
2To amend and reenact R.S. 37:1367(A)(2) and 1368(A)(2) and to enact 1367(A)(3) and
3 1377(L), relative to licensure for plumbers; to provide for on-the-job supervision
4 requirements; to provide for apprentices and helpers engaging in work other than
5 plumbing; to provide for journeyman plumber licensing qualifications; to provide for
6 the definition of "plumber helper"; and to provide for related matters.
7Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
8 Section 1. R.S. 37:1367(A)(2) and 1368(A)(2) are hereby amended and reenacted and
9R.S. 37:1367(A)(3) and 1377(L) are hereby enacted to read as follows:
10 §1367. License required; tradesman, journeyman, and master plumber; medical gas
11 piping installer; medical gas and vacuum systems verifier; water supply
12 protection specialist endorsement; gas fitter and master gas fitter; local
13 examination preempted
14 A.
15 * * *
16 (2) No natural person shall engage in doing the work of a journeyman
17 plumber unless he possesses a license or renewal thereof issued by the board. A
18 journeyman plumber may engage in the art of plumbing only when he is under the
19 supervision of a master plumber licensed by this board. Notwithstanding any other
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HB NO. 932
1 provision to the contrary, a journeyman plumber may repair existing plumbing
2 independently and without the supervision of a master plumber.
3 (3) Apprentices or plumber helpers may engage in the art of plumbing only
4 when they are under the direct, constant, on-the-job supervision of a licensed
5 journeyman plumber. Direct, constant on-the-job supervision means that a licensed
6 journeyman plumber will supervise apprentices as governed by the Louisiana
7 Workforce Commission. is physically present and in direct communication at the
8 property or jobsite for residential construction and single-story or single building
9 commercial construction, and in the same building on the same floor level for multi-
10 level or multi-story commercial construction, where the apprentice or plumber helper
11 is engaged in plumbing. A licensed journeyman plumber may supervise up to two
12 apprentices or plumber helpers who are engaged in plumbing at a time. An
13 apprentice or plumber helper doing work other than plumbing shall not be considered
14 an apprentice or plumber helper for purposes of supervision.
15 * * *
16 §1368. Issuance of tradesman, journeyman, and master plumber's license; medical
17 gas piping and installation license; medical gas and vacuum systems verifier
18 license; water supply protection specialist endorsement; exemption; gas fitter
19 A.
20 * * *
21 (2) The board shall issue a license to any person who qualifies under the
22 state board's regulations and who desires to engage in doing the work of a
23 journeyman plumber if he passes a written and manual journeyman plumber's
24 examination given by the board and pays the fees established by the board. The
25 board shall issue a journeyman plumber license to any person who qualifies in
26 accordance with the state board's regulations, has paid the fees established by the
27 board, has passed a written and manual journeyman plumber's examination given by
28 the board, and meets either of the following qualifications:
29 (a) Has completed at least eight thousand hours of on-the-job training.
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HB NO. 932
1 (b) Has completed at least six thousand hours of on-the-job training and
2 apprenticeship or technical training that consists of at least a two-year program
3 approved by the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
4 * * *
5 §1377. Definitions; exceptions
6 * * *
7 L. Plumber helper. "Plumber helper" means a natural person engaged in
8 learning the plumbing trade by working under the direct on-the-job supervision of
9 a journeyman plumber and in the employ of an employing entity.
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 932 Original 2022 Regular Session Huval
Abstract: Provides for on-the-job supervision requirements and restrictions and
journeyman plumber licensing requirements and qualifications.
Present law allows for on-the-job supervision of apprentices by journeyman plumbers
pursuant to guidelines set forth by the La. Workforce Commission (LWC).
Proposed law retains present law provisions authorizing journeyman plumbers to provide
on-the-job supervision to apprentices, but repeals present law provisions which state that
LWC will regulate such supervision.
Proposed law provides that journeyman plumbers are authorized to provide on-the-job
supervision to plumber helpers.
Proposed law specifies that on-the-job supervision means the journeyman plumber is
physically present and in direct communication at the property or job site when the job site
is a residential construction or a single-story or single building commercial construction.
Further, for a multi-level or multi-story commercial construction, such supervision means
the journeyman plumber is physically present in the same building on the same floor level
where the apprentice or plumber helper is engaged in plumbing.
Proposed law authorizes a journeyman plumber to supervise up to two apprentices or
plumber helpers engaged in plumbing at one time, and proposed law excludes apprentices
or plumber helpers doing work other than plumbing from being considered an apprentice or
plumber helper for the purposes of on-the-job supervision and applicable restrictions on the
number of apprentices or plumber helpers that can be supervised by a journeyman plumber
at one time.
Present law provides that a journeyman plumber license is issued by the State Plumbing
Board and requires the board to issue a license to any person who meets the board's
regulations, passes a written and manual journeyman plumber's exam administered by the
board, and pays the required fees as established by the board.
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HB NO. 932
Proposed law repeals present law and requires the board to issue a journeyman plumber
license to any person who qualifies under the state board's regulations, pays the required fees
as established by the board, passes the board's written and manual journeyman plumber's
exam administered by the board, and has done either of the following:
(1) Completed at least 8,000 hours of on-the-job training.
(2) Completed at least 6,000 hours of on-the-job training and apprenticeship or technical
training that consists of at least a two-year program approved by LWC.
Proposed law defines "plumber helper" as a person engaged in learning plumbing by
working with on-the-job supervision under a journeyman plumber and being employed by
an employing entity.
(Amends R.S. 37:1367(A)(2) and 1368(A)(2); Adds R.S. 37:1367(A)(3) and 1377(L))
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