BILL ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 3214 By: Richardson Licensing & Administrative Procedures Committee Report (Substituted) BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that the current plumbing workforce in Texas, due to an expanding population and an increasing number of natural disasters that require plumbed infrastructure, is not meeting the demand for essential plumbing services. Currently, it can take seven to eight years to become a responsible master plumber, a role with responsibility for supervising journeyman plumbers on house calls, creating plumbing schematics, planning water systems, and working with code and permit office officials. The bill author has further informed the committee that as many of the most skilled master plumbers reach the age of retirement, the divide between available jobs and a workforce sufficient to supply labor will only grow. C.S.H.B. 3214 seeks to address this issue and grow that workforce to fill the labor gap by reducing from four to two the minimum number of years for which an eligible person must have worked as a journeyman plumber before qualifying to apply for a master plumber license. CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision. RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners in SECTION 2 of this bill. ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 3214 amends the Occupations Code to decrease from four to two the minimum number of years for which an otherwise eligible person must have worked as a journeyman plumber to be licensed as a master plumber. The bill requires the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date, to adopt rules as necessary to implement the bill's provisions. The bill applies only to an application for a master plumber license submitted on or after the bill's effective date. An application submitted before that date is governed by the law in effect on the date the application was submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for those purposes. EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025. COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 3214 differs from the introduced only by including a Texas Legislative Council draft number in the footer.
BILL ANALYSIS
# BILL ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 3214
By: Richardson
Licensing & Administrative Procedures
Committee Report (Substituted)
C.S.H.B. 3214
By: Richardson
Licensing & Administrative Procedures
Committee Report (Substituted)
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that the current plumbing workforce in Texas, due to an expanding population and an increasing number of natural disasters that require plumbed infrastructure, is not meeting the demand for essential plumbing services. Currently, it can take seven to eight years to become a responsible master plumber, a role with responsibility for supervising journeyman plumbers on house calls, creating plumbing schematics, planning water systems, and working with code and permit office officials. The bill author has further informed the committee that as many of the most skilled master plumbers reach the age of retirement, the divide between available jobs and a workforce sufficient to supply labor will only grow. C.S.H.B. 3214 seeks to address this issue and grow that workforce to fill the labor gap by reducing from four to two the minimum number of years for which an eligible person must have worked as a journeyman plumber before qualifying to apply for a master plumber license.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners in SECTION 2 of this bill.
ANALYSIS C.S.H.B. 3214 amends the Occupations Code to decrease from four to two the minimum number of years for which an otherwise eligible person must have worked as a journeyman plumber to be licensed as a master plumber. The bill requires the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date, to adopt rules as necessary to implement the bill's provisions. The bill applies only to an application for a master plumber license submitted on or after the bill's effective date. An application submitted before that date is governed by the law in effect on the date the application was submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for those purposes.
EFFECTIVE DATE September 1, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE C.S.H.B. 3214 differs from the introduced only by including a Texas Legislative Council draft number in the footer.
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
The bill author has informed the committee that the current plumbing workforce in Texas, due to an expanding population and an increasing number of natural disasters that require plumbed infrastructure, is not meeting the demand for essential plumbing services. Currently, it can take seven to eight years to become a responsible master plumber, a role with responsibility for supervising journeyman plumbers on house calls, creating plumbing schematics, planning water systems, and working with code and permit office officials. The bill author has further informed the committee that as many of the most skilled master plumbers reach the age of retirement, the divide between available jobs and a workforce sufficient to supply labor will only grow. C.S.H.B. 3214 seeks to address this issue and grow that workforce to fill the labor gap by reducing from four to two the minimum number of years for which an eligible person must have worked as a journeyman plumber before qualifying to apply for a master plumber license.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners in SECTION 2 of this bill.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 3214 amends the Occupations Code to decrease from four to two the minimum number of years for which an otherwise eligible person must have worked as a journeyman plumber to be licensed as a master plumber. The bill requires the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date, to adopt rules as necessary to implement the bill's provisions. The bill applies only to an application for a master plumber license submitted on or after the bill's effective date. An application submitted before that date is governed by the law in effect on the date the application was submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for those purposes.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE
C.S.H.B. 3214 differs from the introduced only by including a Texas Legislative Council draft number in the footer.