SLS 23RS-320 ORIGINAL
2023 Regular Session
SENATE BILL NO. 218
BY SENATOR WOMACK
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT. Provides for powers, duties, and functions of the State
Plumbing Board. (8/1/23)
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact R.S. 37:1361(B)(1), 1366(C), 1367(A)(2), 1368(A)(1)(b), 1377(C),
3 and 1380(A) and (B)(3), relative to plumbers; to provide relative to the licensure of
4 journeyman and master plumbers; to provide relative to the membership and
5 qualifications of the State Plumbing Board; to remove certain duties of the board; to
6 provide relative to comprehensive and property damage insurance limits for certain
7 licenses; to provide relative to definitions; and to provide for related matters.
8 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
9 Section 1. R.S. 37:1361(B)(1), 1366(C), 1367(A)(2), 1368(A)(1)(b), 1377(C), and
10 1380(A) and (B)(3) are hereby amended and reenacted to read as follows:
11 §1361. State Plumbing Board, appointments; qualifications; legislative intent;
12 authority
13 * * *
14 B. The State Plumbing Board is created. The board, which shall be appointed
15 by the governor, shall consist of one registered engineer, one plumbing inspector,
16 three master plumbers, three journeyman plumbers, and one tradesman plumber.
17 Each appointment shall be made from a list of three names for each appointment
Page 1 of 5
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 218
SLS 23RS-320 ORIGINAL
1 submitted by the following:
2 (1) The registered engineer and the plumbing inspector by the president of
3 the Louisiana State Board of Health an appointee from the Louisiana Department
4 of Health who is licensed by the State Plumbing Board.
5 * * *
6 §1366. Duties of the board
7 * * *
8 C. The board shall recognize the system of qualification or registration of
9 apprentices as administered by joint and nonjoint apprenticeship committees
10 approved by the state of Louisiana the director of apprenticeship and
11 nonregistered apprentices in the employ of an employing entity. However, the
12 board may accept an affidavit from an individual certifying his work experience in
13 the field of plumbing, and such individual may be certified as a journeyman plumber
14 provided he passes the written examination and pays the fees established by the
15 board under R.S. 37:1368(B).
16 * * *
17 §1367. License required; tradesman, journeyman, and master plumber; medical gas
18 piping installer; medical gas and vacuum systems verifier; water
19 supply protection specialist endorsement; gas fitter and master gas
20 fitter; local examination preempted
21 A. * * *
22 (2) No natural person shall engage in doing the work of a journeyman
23 plumber unless he possesses a license or renewal thereof issued by the board. A
24 journeyman plumber may engage in the art of plumbing only when he is under the
25 supervision of a master plumber licensed by this board. Notwithstanding any other
26 provision to the contrary, a journeyman plumber may repair existing plumbing
27 independently and without the supervision of a master plumber. Any journeyman
28 plumber that repaired plumbing independently and without the supervision of
29 a master plumber prior to January 1, 2024, shall have a period of five years to
Page 2 of 5
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 218
SLS 23RS-320 ORIGINAL
1 pass the master plumber examination to obtain a master plumber license.
2 Apprentices may engage in the art of plumbing only when they are under the direct
3 constant, on-the-job supervision of a licensed journeyman plumber or master
4 plumber. Direct, constant on-the-job supervision means that a licensed journeyman
5 plumber or master plumber will supervise apprentices as governed by the
6 Louisiana Workforce Commission.
7 * * *
8 §1368. Issuance of tradesman, journeyman, and master plumber's license; medical
9 gas piping and installation license; medical gas and vacuum systems
10 verifier license; water supply protection specialist endorsement;
11 exemption; gas fitter
12 A.(1) The board shall issue a tradesman plumber limited license to any
13 person who meets the following qualifications:
14 * * *
15 (b) Has worked at least four thousand hours as a nonregistered apprentice
16 or at least three thousand hours as a registered apprentice at the manual labor
17 of plumbing under the direct, constant, on-the-job supervision of a journeyman or
18 master plumber licensed by the board.
19 * * *
20 §1377. Definitions; exceptions
21 * * *
22 C.(1) Apprentice plumber. An "apprentice plumber" is a natural person
23 engaged in learning the plumbing trade by working under the direct on-the-job
24 supervision of a journeyman plumber or a master plumber and in the employ of an
25 employing entity. Apprentice plumbers shall be indentured registered in an
26 apprenticeship program approved by the Louisiana Workforce Commission, or
27 nonregistered and in the employ of an employing entity.
28 (2) Apprentice gas fitter. An "apprentice gas fitter" is a natural person
29 engaged in learning the gas fitting trade by working under the direct on-the-job
Page 3 of 5
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 218
SLS 23RS-320 ORIGINAL
1 supervision of a gas fitter or a master gas fitter and in the employ of an
2 employing entity. Apprentice gas fitters shall be registered in an apprenticeship
3 program approved by the Louisiana Workforce Commission, or may be
4 nonregistered and in employ of an employing entity.
5 * * *
6 §1380. Insurance requirements for master plumbers and master natural gas fitters
7 A. No master plumber license or master natural gas fitter license shall be
8 issued, renewed, or revived until the applicant has provided proof acceptable to the
9 board that insurance has been issued to the employing entity which is designated in
10 accordance with R.S. 37:1367 by an insurer authorized to do business in this state.
11 B. The employing entity shall maintain:
12 * * *
13 (3) Comprehensive general liability and property damage insurance in a
14 minimum aggregate amount of one five hundred thousand dollars, except on
15 plumbing work done in parishes under thirty thousand persons in population on
16 buildings, residences, or structures being no more than six thousand square feet of
17 interior space, the minimum aggregate amount shall be fifty thousand dollars.
18 * * *
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Yoursheka D. Butler.
DIGEST
SB 218 Original 2023 Regular Session Womack
Present law creates the State Plumbing Board of Louisiana (board) to consist of nine
members as follows:
(1)One registered engineer.
(2)One plumbing inspector.
(3)Three master plumbers.
(4)Three journeyman plumbers.
(5)One tradesman plumber.
Proposed law retains present law, renames the "Louisiana State Board of Health" the
"Louisiana Department of Health", and requires its appointee to be licensed by the board.
Page 4 of 5
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions. SB NO. 218
SLS 23RS-320 ORIGINAL
Present law requires the board to adopt tests of qualifications for any person engaged in the
duties of a tradesman or master plumber.
Proposed law retains present law and removes the board's option to accept an affidavit from
an individual certifying his work experience in the field of plumbing.
Present law prohibits a natural person from engaging in the work of a journeyman plumber
unless he possesses a license or renewal thereof issued by the board. Present law also permits
a journeyman plumber to engage in the art of plumbing when he is under the supervision of
a licensed master plumber.
Proposed law retains present law and adds that a journeyman plumber that repaired
plumbing without the supervision of a master plumber prior to January 1, 2024, will have
five years to become a licensed master plumber.
Present law permits apprentices to engage in the art of plumbing but requires the apprentice
to be under the direct, constant on-the-job supervision of a licensed journeyman plumber.
Present law also defines "direct, constant on-the-job supervision".
Proposed law retains present law and adds that apprentices may also be supervised by a
master plumber.
Present law provides that in order to obtain a tradesman plumber limited license, a person
must work at least 4,000 hours at the manual labor of plumbing under the direct, constant
on-the-job supervision of a licensed journeyman or master plumber.
Proposed law retains present law and further clarifies that the 4,000-hour requirement
applies to non-registered apprentices. Proposed law also adds that registered apprentices
must complete at least 3,000 hours at the manual labor of plumbing under the direct,
constant on-the-job supervision of a licensed journeyman or master plumber to obtain a
tradesman plumber limited license.
Proposed law defines "apprentice gas fitter" and "registered apprentices".
Present law provides that no master plumber license will be issued, renewed, or revived until
the applicant has provided proof acceptable to the board that insurance has been issued to
the employing entity by an insurer authorized to do business in this state.
Proposed law retains present law and makes present law applicable to master natural gas
fitter licenses.
Present law authorizes the board to require master plumbers and master natural gas fitters
to provide proof of comprehensive general liability and property damage insurance before
issuing, renewing, or reviving an applicant's license.
Proposed law retains present law and raises the minimum aggregate amount of
comprehensive general liability and property damage insurance from $100,000 to $500,000.
Effective August 1, 2023.
(Amends R.S. 37:1361(B)(1), 1366(C), 1367(A)(2), 1368(A)(1)(b), 1377(C), and 1380(A)
and (B)(3))
Page 5 of 5
Coding: Words which are struck through are deletions from existing law;
words in boldface type and underscored are additions.