An Act
ENROLLED SENATE
BILL NO. 1572 By: Daniels of the Senate
and
Sims of the House
An Act relating to professions and occupations;
amending 59 O.S. 2021, Sections 1682, 1686, 1688,
1689, and 1699, which relate to the Electrical
License Act; modifying definition; stating
qualifications for student apprentice registration;
authorizing student apprentice registration and
reregistration under certain conditions; clarifying
student apprentice registration expiration; updating
statutory language; updating s tatutory reference; and
providing an effective date.
SUBJECT: Electrician apprenticeships
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 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 (1 6) years
of age or older whose principal occupation is the learning of and
assisting in the installation of electrical work under the direct
ENR. S. B. NO. 1572 Page 2
supervision of a licensed journeyman electrician or electrical
contractor;
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 installation of electrical
facilities who is familiar with the laws, rules and regulations
governing such work. Electrical contractor 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 in 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 to installation, maintenance, repair,
alteration, residential, oilfield and commercial;
8. “Temporary journeyman electrician” means any person other
than a person permanently licensed a s 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 B oard;
10. “Electrical construction work” means installation,
fabrication or assembly of equipment or systems included in
“premises wiring” as defined in the National Electrical Code
ENR. S. B. NO. 1572 Page 3
(reference 158:40-1-4. Standard of Installation), 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. Electrical construction
work shall not include in -plant work performed by employees 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, r epair, testing or replacement of
all or part of electrical wires, conduits, apparatus, fixtures,
appliances or equipment for transmitting, carrying, controlling or
using electricity in, on, outside or attached to a building,
structure, property or premises . Electrical 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 involve actual work with any of the electrical
components provided in this def inition; and
12. “Student electrical intern apprentice” means any person
sixteen (16) years of age or older who complies with the
requirements for registration under Section 1686 of this title.
B. Class 2 and Class 3 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 certifica te of such registration to any
person who furnishes satisfactory proof to the Board that the
applicant is:
ENR. S. B. NO. 1572 Page 4
1. Sixteen (16) years of age or older; or
2. Enrolled in a school or federal training program for
electrical apprentices recognized by the 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 s uch 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 contractor.
A student apprentice may not apply more than five hundred (500)
hours per school year toward his or her journeyman requirements .
C. All applications for examination, license 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 provide such d ocuments, 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.
SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 168 8, 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 in the
birth month of the licensee. 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 than
ENR. S. B. NO. 1572 Page 5
thirty (30) days following the date of expiration may be renewed
only upon application and payment of all required fees and payment
of any penalty for late ren ewal established by the Construction
Industries Board and upon compliance with any applicable continuing
education requirements established by the Board and the Electrical
License Act. No penalty for late renewal shall be charged to any
holder of a license which expires while the holder is in military
service, if an application for renewal is made within one (1) year
following the service discharge of the holder.
B. No journeyman or contractor license shall be renewed unless
the licensee has completed th e 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 student intern
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 renewal fee.
D. A student apprentice registration certificate shall be
issued for the registrant's s chool year. A student apprentice
registration expires on the last day of the registrant's school
year, at which time the apprentice may reregister upon meeting the
requirements of the Construction Industries Board and paying the
renewal fee.
SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 59 O.S. 2021, Section 1689, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 1689. A. The Construction Industries Board or its
designee and the Committee of Electrical Examiners shall act as the
Electrical Hearing Board and sha ll 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 administrative hearing on suspensions, revocations or
fines shall be conducted by a hearing examiner appoi nted by the
Board. The hearing examiner’s decision shall be a final decision
which may be appealed to a district court in accordance with the
Administrative Procedures Act.
ENR. S. B. NO. 1572 Page 6
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 license. 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 finding by clear and convincing evidence,
the Board shall also suspend or revoke any license or registration
for any of the following:
1. Making a material misstatement in the application for a
license or registration, or the renewal of a license or
registration;
2. Loaning or illegally 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 ordinance for the
installation of electrical facilities made or enacted by a city or
town by authority of the Electrica l 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 state as a nonresident
contractor.
D. Any person whose license or registration 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 t hat 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 have
jurisdiction over the interpre tation of the code and the
ENR. S. B. NO. 1572 Page 7
installation of all electrical work done in that political
subdivision, subject to the provisions of the Oklahoma Inspectors
Act. Provided, a state inspector may work directly with an
electrical contractor, journeyman electricia n, electrical apprentice
or student electrical intern apprentice in such a locality if a
violation of the code creates an 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 Ok lahoma Inspectors Act for such work, the
Construction Industries Board 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 sh all install, modify or alter electrical
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 p rovisions of the Oklahoma Inspectors Act for
such work without providing notice of such electrical work to the
Construction Industries Board. A notice form for reproduction by an
individual or entity required to make such notice shall be provided
by the Construction Industries Board upon request.
2. Notice to the Construction Industries Board pursuant to this
subsection shall not be required for electrical 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 Industries 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 supervision under
ENR. S. B. NO. 1572 Page 8
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 National Electrical
Code.
SECTION 6. This act shall become effective November 1, 2024.
ENR. S. B. NO. 1572 Page 9
Passed the Senate the 22nd day of May, 2024.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
Passed the House of Representat ives the 24th day of April, 2024.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Received by the Office of the Governor this _______ _____________
day of _________________ __, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________
Approved by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _______ __
day of _________________ __, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
_________________________________
Governor of the State of Oklahoma
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
Received by the Office of the Secretary of State this _______ ___
day of _________________ _, 20 _______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________