2023 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE BILL NO. 218
BY SENATOR WOMACK AND REPRESENTATIVES BOYD, BROWN, BUTLER,
ROBBY CARTER, COX, GREEN, HUGHES, MIKE JOHNSON,
TRAVIS JOHNSON, JORDAN, KNOX, LACOMBE, LYONS,
CHARLES OWEN, SELDERS, STAGNI, WILLARD AND ZERINGUE
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
1 AN ACT
2 To amend and reenact the introductory paragraph of R.S. 37:1361(B) and 1361(B)(1),
3 1366(C), 1367(A)(2), 1368(A)(1)(b), 1377(C), and 1380(A) and (B)(3), relative to
4 plumbers; to provide relative to the licensure of journeyman and master plumbers;
5 to provide relative to the membership and qualifications of the State Plumbing
6 Board; to remove certain duties of the board; to provide relative to comprehensive
7 and property damage insurance limits for certain licenses; to provide relative to
8 definitions; and to provide for related matters.
9 Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
10 Section 1. The introductory paragraph of R.S. 37:1361(B) and 1361(B)(1), 1366(C),
11 1367(A)(2), 1368(A)(1)(b), 1377(C), and 1380(A) and (B)(3) are hereby amended and
12 reenacted to read as follows:
13 §1361. State Plumbing Board, appointments; qualifications; legislative intent;
14 authority
15 * * *
16 B. The State Plumbing Board is created. The board, which shall be appointed
17 by the governor, shall consist of one registered engineer who is also licensed by the
18 State Plumbing Board, one plumbing inspector who is also licensed by the State
19 Plumbing Board, three master plumbers, three journeyman plumbers, and one
20 tradesman plumber. Each appointment shall be made from a list of three names for
21 each appointment submitted by the following:
22 (1) The registered engineer and the plumbing inspector by the president of
23 the Louisiana State Board of Health the Louisiana Department of Health.
ACT No. 152
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1 * * *
2 §1366. Duties of the board
3 * * *
4 C. The board shall recognize the system of qualification or registration of
5 apprentices as administered by joint and nonjoint apprenticeship committees
6 approved by the state of Louisiana the director of apprenticeship and
7 nonregistered apprentices in the employ of an employing entity. However, the
8 board may accept an affidavit from an individual certifying his work experience in
9 the field of plumbing, and such individual may be certified as a journeyman plumber
10 provided he passes the written examination and pays the fees established by the
11 board under R.S. 37:1368(B).
12 * * *
13 §1367. License required; tradesman, journeyman, and master plumber; medical gas
14 piping installer; medical gas and vacuum systems verifier; water
15 supply protection specialist endorsement; gas fitter and master gas
16 fitter; local examination preempted
17 A. * * *
18 (2) No natural person shall engage in doing the work of a journeyman
19 plumber unless he possesses a license or renewal thereof issued by the board. A
20 journeyman plumber may engage in the art of plumbing only when he is under the
21 supervision employment of a master plumber licensed by this board.
22 Notwithstanding any other provision to the contrary, a journeyman plumber may
23 repair existing plumbing independently and without the supervision of a master
24 plumber. Any journeyman plumber that repaired plumbing independently and
25 without the supervision of a master plumber prior to January 1, 2024, may
26 continue to operate in such a manner for a period of five years, and shall within
27 that five-year period pass the master plumber examination to obtain a master
28 plumber license. Apprentices may engage in the art of plumbing only when they are
29 under the direct, constant, on-the-job supervision of a licensed journeyman plumber.
30 Direct, constant, on-the-job supervision means that a licensed journeyman plumber
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1 will supervise apprentices as governed by the Louisiana Workforce Commission.
2 * * *
3 §1368. Issuance of tradesman, journeyman, and master plumber's license; medical
4 gas piping and installation license; medical gas and vacuum systems
5 verifier license; water supply protection specialist endorsement;
6 exemption; gas fitter
7 A.(1) The board shall issue a tradesman plumber limited license to any
8 person who meets the following qualifications:
9 * * *
10 (b) Has worked at least four thousand hours as an unindentured apprentice
11 or at least three thousand hours as an indentured apprentice at the manual labor
12 of plumbing under the direct, constant, on-the-job supervision of a journeyman or
13 master plumber licensed by the board.
14 * * *
15 §1377. Definitions; exceptions
16 * * *
17 C.(1) Apprentice plumber. An "apprentice plumber" is a natural person
18 engaged in learning the plumbing trade by working under the direct on-the-job
19 supervision of a journeyman plumber and in the employ of an employing entity.
20 Apprentice plumbers shall be indentured in an apprenticeship program approved by
21 the Louisiana Workforce Commission or unindentured and in the employ of an
22 employing entity.
23 (2) Apprentice gas fitter. An "apprentice gas fitter" is a natural person
24 engaged in learning the gas fitting trade by working under the direct, on-the-job
25 supervision of a gas fitter and in the employ of an employing entity. Apprentice
26 gas fitters shall be indentured in an apprenticeship program approved by the
27 Louisiana Workforce Commission or may be unindentured and in the employ
28 of an employing entity.
29 * * *
30 §1380. Insurance requirements for master plumbers and master natural gas fitters
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1 A. No master plumber license or master natural gas fitter license shall be
2 issued, renewed, or revived until the applicant has provided proof acceptable to the
3 board that insurance has been issued to the employing entity which is designated in
4 accordance with R.S. 37:1367 by an insurer authorized to do business in this state.
5 B. The employing entity shall maintain:
6 * * *
7 (3) Comprehensive general liability and property damage insurance in a
8 minimum aggregate amount of one five hundred thousand dollars, except on
9 plumbing work done in parishes under thirty thousand persons in population on
10 buildings, residences, or structures being no more than six thousand square feet of
11 interior space, the minimum aggregate amount shall be fifty thousand dollars.
12 * * *
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
GOVERNOR OF THE STATE OF LOUISIANA
APPROVED:
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