Req. No. 2353 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 STATE OF OKLAHOMA 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024) SENATE BILL 1572 By: Daniels AS INTRODUCED An Act relating to electricians; amending 59 O.S. 2021, Sections 1682, 1686, 1688, 1689, and 1699, which relate to the Electrical Licen se Act; modifying definition; stating qualifications for certification; providing for expiration of registration; updating statutory language; updating statutory re ference; and providing an effective date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STAT E OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Se ction 1682, is amended to read as follows: Section 1682. A. As used in the Electrical License Act: 1. “Board” means the Construction Industries Board; 2. “Committee” means the Committee of Electrical Examiners appointed by the Board; 3. “Electrical apprentice ” means any person sixteen (16) years of age or older whose principal occupation is the learnin g of and assisting in the install ation of electrical work under the direct supervision of a licensed journeyman electrician or electrical contractor; Req. No. 2353 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 4. “Journeyman electrician ” means any person other than an electrical contractor who engages in the actual installation, alteration, repair or renovation of electrical facilities or electrical construction work unless specifically exempted by the provisions of the Electrical License Act; 5. “Electrical contractor ” means any person skilled in the planning, superintending and practical instal lation of electrical facilities who is fa miliar with the laws, rules and regulations governing such work. Electrical co ntractor also means any individual, firm, partnership, corporation, limited liability company or business performing skills of an electrical contractor or an electrician or the business of contracting, or furnishing labor or labor and materials for the installation, repair, maintenance or renovation of electrical facilities or electrical construction work according to the provisions of the Electrical License Act; 6. “Electrical facilities” means all wiring, fixtures, appurtenances and appliances for, and i n connection with, a supply of electricity within or adjacent to any building, structure or conveyance on the premises but not including the connection with a power supply meter or other power supply source; 7. “Category” means the classification by which licenses and electrical work may be limited. Such categories shall include but shall not be limited t o installation, maintenance, repa ir, alteration, residential, oilfield and commercial; Req. No. 2353 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 8. “Temporary journeyman electrician ” means any person other than a person permanently licensed as a journeyman electrician or electrical contractor in this state who meets the temporary licensure requirements of Section 1685.1 of this title; 9. “Variance and Appeals Board ” means the Oklahoma State Electrical Installation Code Variance and Appeals Board; 10. “Electrical construction work” means installation, fabrication or assembly of equipment or sys tems included in “premises wiring” as defined in the National Electrical Code (reference 158:40-1-4. Standard of Instal lation), and which is hereby adopted and incorporated by reference. Electrical construction work includes but is not limited to installation of raceway systems used for any electrical purposes, and installation of field-assembled systems such as ice and snow melting, pipe - tracing and manufactured wiring systems. El ectrical construction work shall not include in-plant work performed by em ployees of the company owning the plant, work performed by telecommunications employees for telecommunications companies or installation of factory-assembled appliances or machinery which is not part of the premises wiring unless wiring interconnections external to the equipment are required in the field; 11. “Electrical work” means work consisting primarily of the layout, installation, maintenance, repair, testing or replacement of all or part of electrical wires, conduits , apparatus, fixtures, Req. No. 2353 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 appliances or equipment for transmitting, carrying, controlling or using electricity in, on, outside or attached to a building, structure, property or premises. E lectrical work shall not mean work that is related to or facilitates the construction, installation or maintenance of all or part of an electrical system, but which does not in volve actual work with any of the electrical components provided in this definition; and 12. “Student electrical intern apprentice” means any person sixteen (16) years of age or olde r who complies with the requirements for registration under Section 1686 of this title. B. Class 2 and Class 3 alarm circuits shall be exempt from the requirements of electrical licensing of either an electrical contractor or a journeyman electrician, provided the work is performed in accordance with the National Fire Protection Association 70 requirements for Class 2 and Class 3 circuits. SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1686, is amended to read as follows: Section 1686. A. The Construction Industries Board shall, upon proper application and payment of fee, register as an electrical apprentice and issue a certificate of such registra tion to any person who furnishes satisfactory proof to the Board that the applicant is: 1. Sixteen (16) years of age or older; or Req. No. 2353 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 2. Enrolled in a school or federal t raining program for electrical apprentices recognized by th e Board or employed as an electrical apprentice with an active licensed electrical contractor. B. The Construction Industries Board shall, upon proper application and payment of fee, register as a student electrical intern apprentice and issue a certificate of such registration to any person who furnishes satisfactory proof to the Board that the applicant is: 1. Sixteen (16) years of age or older; and 2. Enrolled in high school and enrolled in a work -ready or similar program recognized by the Board ; and 3. Employed with an active licensed electrical contracto r. A student apprentice may not apply more than one thousa nd five hundred (1,500) hours to ward his or her journeyman requirements . C. All applications for examination, licens e or renewal of license shall be made in writing to the Board on forms provided, if necessary, by the Board. All applications shall be accompanied by the appropriate fee. D. Apprentices and student electrical interns apprentices, when required by the Board, shall pr ovide such documents, statements or other information as may be necessary to submit to a national criminal history record check as defined by Section 150.9 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes. Req. No. 2353 Page 6 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1688, is amended to read as follows: Section 1688. A. No license shall be issued for longer than one (1) year, and all licenses shall expire on the last day i n the birth month of the li censee. A license may be renewed upon application and payment of fees thirty (30) days preceding or following the date the license is due. Licenses renewed more th an thirty (30) days following the date of expi ration may be renewed only upon application and payment of all required fees and payment of any penalty for late renewal established by the Construction Industries Board and upon compliance with any applicable continuing education requirements established by the Board and t he Electrical License Act. No penalty for late ren ewal shall be charged to any holder of a license which expires while the holder is in military service, if an applic ation for renewal is made within one (1) year following the service discharge of the hold er. B. No journeyman or contract or license shall be renewed unless the licensee has completed the required hours of continuing education, as determined and approved by the Committee of Electrical Examiners and approved by the Construction Industries Board . C. An apprentice registration certificate or a s tudent intern apprentice registration certificate shall be issued for one (1) year, at which time the apprentice may reregister upon meeting the requirements of the Construction Industries Board and paying the Req. No. 2353 Page 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 renewal fee. A student apprentice registration expires on the last day of the registrant’s school year. SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1689, is amended to read as follows: Section 1689. A. The Construction Ind ustries Board or its designee and the Committee of Electrical Examiners shall act as the Electrical Hearing Board and shall comply with the provisions of Article II of the Administrative Procedures Act, Section 308a et seq. of Title 75 of the Oklahoma Statutes. B. Any administrativ e hearing on suspensions, revocations or fines shall be conducted by a hearing examiner appointed by the Board. The hearing examiner’s decision shall be a final decision which may be appealed to a district court in accordance wi th the Administrative Procedures Act. C. The Electrical Hearing Board may, upon its own motion, and shall, upon written complaint filed by any person, investigate the business transactions of any electrical contractor, journeyman electrician, electrical apprentice, student electrical intern apprentice or poultry house contractor lic ense. Upon a finding by clear and convincing evidence, the Board shall suspend or revoke any license or registration obtained by false or fraudulent representation. Upon a fin ding by clear and convincing evidence, the Board shall also suspend or revoke any license or registration for any of the following: Req. No. 2353 Page 8 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1. Making a material misstatement in the application for a license or registration, or the renewal of a license or registration; 2. Loaning or illega lly using a license; 3. Demonstrating incompetence to act as a journeyman electrician or electrical contractor; 4. Violating any provisions of the Electrical License Act, or any rule or order prescribed by the Board or any ordi nance for the installation of electrical facilities made or enacted by a city or town by authority of the Electrical License Act; 5. Willfully failing to perform normal business obligations without justifiable cause; or 6. Failing to maintain a registration or license as required by law in another state while registered in this sta te as a nonresident contractor. D. Any person whose license or re gistration has been revoked by the Electrical Hearing Board may apply for a new license one (1) year from the date of such revocation. E. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a political subdivision of this state that has adopted a nationally recognized electrical code and appointed an inspector pursuant to the provisions of Section 1693 of this title or pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Inspectors Act for such work shall hav e jurisdiction over the inter pretation of the code and the Req. No. 2353 Page 9 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 installation of all electrical work done in that political subdivision, subject to the provisions of the Oklahoma Insp ectors Act. Provided, a state inspector may work directly with an electrical contractor, journeyman electrician, electrical apprentice or student electrical intern apprentice in such a locality if a violation of the code creates a n immediate threat to life or health. F. In the case of a complaint about, investigation of or inspection of any license, registration, permit or electrical work in any political subdivision of this state which has not adopted a nationally recognized electrical code and appointed an inspector pursuant to the provisions of Section 1693 of this title or pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Inspectors Act for such work, the Construction Industries B oard shall have jurisdiction over such matters. G. 1. No individual, business, company, corporation, association or other entity subject to the provisions of the Electrical License Act shall instal l, modify or alter electri cal facilities in any incorporated area of this state which has not adopted a nationally recognized electrical code and appointed an inspector pursuant to the provisions of Section 1693 of this title or pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Inspectors Act for such work without prov iding notice of such electrical work to the Construction Industries Board. A notice form for reproduction by an Req. No. 2353 Page 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 individual or entity required to make such not ice shall be provided by the Construction Industries Board upon re quest. 2. Notice to the Construction Industries Board pursuant to this subsection shall not be required for el ectrical maintenance or replacement of existing electrical appliances or fixtures or of any petroleum refinery or its research facilities. 3. Enforcement of this subsection is authorized pursuant to the Electrical License Act, or under authority granted to the Construction Industri es Board. SECTION 5. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1699, is amended to read as follows: Section 1699. One student electrical intern apprentice is allowed to work per physical job site with direct sup ervision under a single journeyman or electrical contractor; provided, however, that no such student electrical intern apprentice shall be counted against the maximum number of apprentices who are allowed by law or regulation to work under the supervision of a single journeyman or contractor. A student electrical intern apprentice is not allowed to work on high voltage systems defined by the Natio nal Electrical Code. SECTION 6. This act shall become effective November 1, 2024. 59-2-2353 MR 1/5/2024 4:07:32 PM