Future Lic Requirement for PA? HB623

[jfls41]

Does anyone know the status of this bill in the PA Legislature?


HB 623 RE: Electrical Contractors Licensing (by Rep. Bob Godshall, et al)
Provides for the licensure of electrical contractors, journeyman electricians and registered apprentices by creating the Electrical Contractors Licensing Act to set up a system for licensure and regulation of electrical contractors, journeyman electricians and registered apprentices. The bill also establishes the State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors and provides for its powers and duties.
Referred to House Professional Licensure Committee, 2/16/2005

[ May 22, 2005, 07:38 AM: Message edited by: jfls41 ]

 

[jfls41]

Re: Future Lic Requirement for PA? HB623

To those concerned:


HB 1024 By Representatives GODSHALL, BELFANTI, BUNT, CAPPELLI, CRAHALLA,
DeLUCA, NAILOR, SURRA, TANGRETTI, TIGUE and WALKO.

Printer's No. 1170.

An Act regulating the licensure of electrical contractors; establishing
the State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors and providing for
its powers and duties; providing penalties; and making an appropriation.

Referred to PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, March 16, 2005

 

[mdshunk]

Re: Future Lic Requirement for PA? HB623

I am a PA electrician, I'd would like to see that passed for one simple reason. What a friggin headache maintaining a zillion local licenses is. Some reciprocate with nearby towns, and some do not. A think that PA is one of the last couple of hold-outs on statewide electrician licensing. Since PA only recently got a statewide building code after many years of fighting, I don't suspect that this licensing requirement will fly for quite some time. It's strange, PA licenses barbers, but not electricians. You have assurances that you won't get a bad haircut, but no assurances that the buiding in which you got your haircut was wired by a qualified person.

 

[petersonra]

Re: Future Lic Requirement for PA? HB623

I am not convinced licensing ensures a good haircut or a good wiring job. It does ensure governmental instrusion into the process and additional cost and corruption though.

 

[charlie]

Re: Future Lic Requirement for PA? HB623

Bob, most local jurisdictions require a license and they will collect the fees every year on them. Getting a state statute will mean a single license and a single license fee. I happen to think that a state wide license is a great thing to have.

The biggest problem is that you can't take someone's livelihood away from them so you have to have a grandfather clause. Along with that is the ability for some older hacks to work in areas that once excluded them. Only time and strong enforcement will take care of that problem.

 

[jeff43222]

Re: Future Lic Requirement for PA? HB623

Of course licensing doesn't ensure a good wiring job (or a good haircut, or safe driving, etc.), but I think it does make it much more likely. Without some form of licensing, there would be no enforceable standards, and bad wiring would be much more common.

Much of my business involves correcting the bad wiring done by handymen and other hacks, but I have yet to see bad wiring done by someone who is licensed. Every now and then I see wiring that was done very well, and I make a point of asking the homeowner who did the work. In every case, the answer was a licensed contractor, generally one I've heard of previously.

I deal with lots of homeowners who come up dry when they ask their friends for references for a good electrician, so they take a chance and call someone out of the yellow pages or a newspaper ad. I often hear that one thing that made them choose my ad over someone else's is that my ad mentions that I'm licensed. I also make sure I explain to them how dealing with a licensed contractor gives them much more protection than dealing with a hack, as I'm bonded, fully insured, and have to provide a warranty on my work.