AN ACT relating to electrical services.
     Create new sections and amend various sections of KRS 227.450 to 227.500 to require any person who performs electrical work to be a licensed electrical contractor, journeyman electrician, master electrician or registered apprentice, preapprentice, or trainee working under the supervision of a licensed contractor, master electrician, or journeyman electrician; create exemptions; set out the costs of the examinations, not to exceed costs established by testing service; require four years of experience as a prerequisite for taking the journeyman examination; require the Department of Housing, Building and Construction to select and approve an examination for state licensure and for local licensure until July 1, 1999; permit a journeyman to obtain an equivalent industry certificate in lieu of the examination; permit an applicant that is licensed by a city, county, or other state to apply for an examination certificate from this state if the test was the same or has been determined by the department to be substantially equivalent to the state-approved test; require the department to issue a state photo ID license; permit fees for state licenses that were issued by the authorized local licensing program operating the state program to be retained by the locality; permit a locality with a program in existence on the effective date of this Act to continue its program until July 1, 1999; allow those localities with programs to be agents for administering the state-run program; require the department to promulgate administrative regulations establishing licensing requirements to include satisfactory completion of an approved examination, experience, the subject areas tested, procedures by which a license may be placed in inactive status, the process by which a local program may serve as an agent for the state-run program, and continuing education requirements; establish license fees that vary depending on the type of license held; permit anyone holding a valid examination from the a city or county in the state or the state to be licensed upon making application, paying the required fee, and converting his or her certificate to a state license or by obtaining a new license; require that the state license permit a licensee to work anywhere in the state without further licensing; set out procedures by which licenses expire and are renewed, including the establishment of renewal fees; permit a licensee whose license has expired and is not reinstated to be relicensed by retaking the examination, if it has been more than two years since the license has expired, or paying a penalty as determined by the department and the advisory committee; permit a person who has not taken the examination to be licensed prior to December 31, 1999, based on verifiable experience; set out the grounds by which a licensee or certificate holder may be disciplined; require persons licensed to carry upon this persons the photo identification while working; require the licensee to post his or her license number and company name on the licensee's truck; require a master electrician who is the representative by which a contractor qualifies, to notify the department when he or she ceases to work with the contractor; specify that the electrician will be responsible for all work done until notice is given; require the Department of Labor to issue a registration card to the registered apprentices; prohibit a licensed master electrician from representing more than one electrical contractor.

     Mar 2-introduced in House
     Mar 3-to Labor and Industry (H)
     Mar 4-posted in committee
     Mar 12-reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar with committee amendments (1) and (2); floor amendment (1) filed
     Mar 13-2nd reading, to Rules; posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for March 16, 1998; floor amendment (2) filed
     Mar 17-3rd reading, defeated 43-47 with committee amendments (1) and (2) and floor amendment (2)