BILL ANALYSIS
AB 2523
Page A
Date of Hearing: May 5, 2010
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS
Felipe Fuentes, Chair
AB 2523 (Eng) - As Amended: April 14, 2010
Policy Committee: Labor and
Employment Vote: 7-0
Urgency: No State Mandated Local Program:
No Reimbursable:
SUMMARY
This bill makes various changes related to the certification of
electricians. Specifically, the bill:
1)Amends current law that requires classroom instruction for
electrician trainees to be provided under the jurisdiction of
public schools, community colleges, state licensed private
postsecondary institution, to also include a state or federal
apprenticeship program approved to provide electrical
training.
2)Provides that continuing education instruction by an entity
that is not approved by Chief of the Division of
Apprenticeship Standards (DAS) shall be provided under the
jurisdiction of the State Department of Education or the Board
of Governors of the California Community Colleges.
FISCAL EFFECT
Minor and absorbable costs to the Division of Apprenticeship
Standards to promulgate regulations to conform to the statute
regarding curriculum outside of the jurisdiction of the
education entities.
COMMENTS
1)Background . AB 931 (Calderon), Chapter 781/1999 established a
certification program for electricians to be implemented by
July 1, 2001. Proponents of the original legislation stated
that it was designed to address electrician competency, as
well as safety. Proponents argued that, prior to the
AB 2523
Page B
enactment of AB 931 no state law required testing and
certification of electricians who performed the actual wiring
and connection of electrical devices.
Under current law, in order to perform work as an electrician
a person must (a) have taken and passed the electrician
certification examination, (b) be a registered apprentice in a
state-approved apprenticeship program, or (c) be an
electrician trainee.
With respect to electrician trainees, if a person wants to
perform electrical work and does not yet qualify to take the
certification examination due to lack of work experience or
related instruction, they can do so legally by registering as
an electrician trainee. Under current law, such training
programs must be approved by a state certification curriculum
committee, which consists of a representative from the State
Department of Education, the Board of Governors of the
California Community Colleges, and the DAS. In addition to
the curriculum approval process, the training is required to
be supervised by the State Department of Education, the Board
of Governors of the California Community Colleges, or the
Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education.
2)Rationale. The purpose of this bill is to permit
state-approved apprenticeship programs to offer certification
training under their own general control - without the
requirement that the training be under the jurisdiction the
state. The sponsor (the Western Electrical Contractors
Association) argues that the additional supervision of the
state-approved apprenticeship training programs is unnecessary
and increases the costs of operation as the programs have
already been reviewed and approved as providing quality
training. Representatives of state-approved apprenticeship
programs further argue that due to budget cuts and other
fiscal constraints, some community colleges have eliminated
their electrician certification programs altogether or don't
offer courses on a year-round basis.
3)Opponents (various community college districts) argue that the
bill circumvents important institutional mechanisms that
provide for accountability and state oversight. They state
that the oversight provided by the state and accrediting
bodies that monitor institutions such as local community
colleges ensures that the instruction and training maintains
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its quality, that student outcomes are measured, and that the
institution maintains eligibility requirements and standards.
Analysis Prepared by : Brad Williams / APPR. / (916) 319-2081