HP1353, LD 1833, item 3, 125th Maine State Legislature , Amendment C "B", Filing Number H-837, Sponsored by
‘An Act To Facilitate Electrician Apprenticeship and Encourage Enrollment in High School Electrical Education Programs’

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Amend the bill by striking out the title and substituting the following:
‘An Act To Facilitate Electrician Apprenticeship and Encourage Enrollment in High School Electrical Education Programs’
Amend the bill by striking out all of section 1 and inserting the following:
‘Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §1101, sub-§4-A, as amended by PL 2011, c. 286, Pt. F, §4, is further amended to read:
 
4-A. Supervision.  ~~One~~Two apprentice ~~electrician or~~electricians, one helper electrician or 2 helper electricians who are both currently enrolled in, or have completed, a program of study consisting of 576 hours of education as approved by the Electricians' Examining Board or from an accredited institution may work with and under the direct supervision of ~~each~~a master electrician, limited electrician or journeyman electrician. A master electrician who teaches an electrical course at a Maine career and technical education center, a Maine career and technical education region, a Maine community college or an apprenticeship program registered by the Department of Labor may have a maximum of 12 helper or apprentice electricians under direct supervision while making electrical installations that are a part of the instructional program of the school or apprenticeship program, as long as the total value of each installation does not exceed $5,000. An electrical installation may not be commenced pursuant to this subsection without the prior approval of the director or president of the school or apprenticeship program at which the master electrician is an instructor. These installations are limited to those done in buildings or facilities owned or controlled by:
 
A. School administrative units; and
 
B. Nonprofit organizations.
 
The Electricians' Examining Board and the municipal electrical inspector of the municipality in which the installation is to be made, if the municipality has an inspector, must be notified of all installation projects entered into pursuant to this subsection prior to the commencement of the project. There must be an inspection by a state electrical inspector or by the municipal electrical inspector of the municipality in which the installation has been made, if the municipality has an inspector, before any wiring on the project is concealed.’
Amend the bill by adding after section 2 the following:
‘Sec. 3. Report on the increase in the ratio of helper and apprentice electricians working under a master electrician, limited electrician or journeyman electrician. The Director of the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation shall provide a report by February 1, 2014 to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor, commerce, research and economic development matters on the impact of the increase in the ratio of helper and apprentice electricians working under a master electrician, limited electrician or journeyman electrician and identify any safety issues or licensing concerns that may have arisen as a result of the increase in the ratio. The joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor, commerce, research and economic development matters is authorized to report out a bill on the issues raised by the increase in the ratio of helper and apprentice electricians to the Second Regular Session of the 126th Legislature.’
 
SUMMARY
This amendment is the minority report of the committee. It replaces section 1 of the bill and amends the electrician licensing laws by changing the number of helper and apprentice electricians that may work with and be supervised by a master electrician, limited electrician or journeyman electrician from one to 2, as long as the 2 helper electricians are both currently enrolled in, or have completed, a program of study consisting of 576 hours of education as approved by the Electricians' Examining Board or from an accredited institution. It also requires the Director of the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to provide a report by February 1, 2014 to the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor, commerce, research and economic development matters on the impact of the increase in the ratio of helper and apprentice electricians working under a master electrician, limited electrician or journeyman electrician and identify any safety issues or licensing concerns that may have arisen as a result of the increase in the ratio. It authorizes the joint standing committee of the Legislature having jurisdiction over labor, commerce, research and economic development matters to submit a bill on the issues raised by the increase in the ratio of helper and apprentice electricians to the Second Regular Session of the 126th Legislature.
FISCAL NOTE REQUIRED
(See attached)

HP1353, Filing Number H-837, LR 2735, item 3,Second Regular Session - 125th Maine Legislature, page