BILL ANALYSIS
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|SENATE RULES COMMITTEE | AB 2523|
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THIRD READING
Bill No: AB 2523
Author: Eng (D)
Amended: 8/2/10 in Senate
Vote: 21
SENATE LABOR & INDUS. RELATIONS COMMITTEE : 4-1, 6/23/10
AYES: DeSaulnier, Ducheny, Leno, Yee
NOES: Hollingsworth
NO VOTE RECORDED: Wyland
SENATE APPROPRIATIONS COMMITTEE : Senate Rule 28.8
ASSEMBLY FLOOR : 72-0, 5/20/10 - See last page for vote
SUBJECT : Apprenticeship: electricians
SOURCE : Author
DIGEST : This bill modifies the education and training
requirements for certification as an electrician, to allow
a state-approved apprenticeship training program to offer
certification training. This bill also modifies continuing
education requirements for electricians, as specified.
ANALYSIS : Existing law requires an electrician to pass
an electrician certification exam, be registered as an
apprentice in a state-approved apprenticeship program, or
be a trainee to perform work as an electrician. Existing
law also requires that training programs must be approved
by either the Department of Education (CDE), Board of
CONTINUED
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Governors of the California Community Colleges, or the
Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education.
This bill expands this list by adding a state or federally
approved training program as an alternative pathway for
certification training. This bill specifies that if a
continuing education program is not approved by the
Division of Apprenticeship Standards (DAS), it shall be
provided under the jurisdiction of the CDE or the Board of
Governors of the California Community Colleges.
Prior Legislation
SB 1362 (Margett), Chapter 716, Statutes of 2008,
authorizes specified disciplinary action for failure to
comply with existing law related to the certification of
electricians. Among other things, SB 1362 requires that
the Division of Apprenticeship Standards develop a process
for referring cases to the Contractors State Licensing
Board when it has been determined that a violation of
specified electrician certification requirements has likely
occurred.
FISCAL EFFECT : Appropriation: No Fiscal Com.: Yes
Local: No
SUPPORT : (Verified 8/4/10)
Assoc. Builders and Contractors of CA
CA Association of Electrical Workers
CA Chapters of the National Electrical Contractors
Association
OPPOSITION : (Verified 8/4/10)
Western Electrical Contractors Association
ARGUMENTS IN SUPPORT : According to the author's office,
before a state-approved apprenticeship program is allowed
to offer certification training, the training is required
to be supervised by the CDE, or the Community College
system (CCS), or the Bureau for Private Postsecondary and
Vocational Education (Bureau). In addition, the author's
office contends that existing law requires continuing
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education (CE) for recertification of electricians;
however, the author's office argues that nothing in statute
regulates continuation providers and does not establish
minimum requirements for the providers. According to the
author's office, this has created a loophole that allows
electricians to avoid the CE requirement by retaking the
certification examination.
As indicated by the author's office, this bill permits
state-approved apprenticeship programs to offer
certification training under their general control -
without the requirement that this training be under the
jurisdiction of the CDE, or the CCS or the Bureau.
However, the program curriculum would still be submitted to
the existing curriculum committee pursuant to Labor Code
3099(a) (6). The author's office 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 quality training.
ARGUMENTS IN OPPOSITION : Opponents argue that this bill
replaces the current requirement that certification
programs partner with a Local Education Authority with a
somewhat confusing program of self regulation. Further,
the new requirements would limit the authority of these
programs to offer their training to members of the public
who may want to become certified electricians. Neither
policy, in our opinion, enhances the program or improves
the education provided to trainees.
ASSEMBLY FLOOR :
AYES: Adams, Ammiano, Anderson, Arambula, Bass, Beall, Bill
Berryhill, Tom Berryhill, Blakeslee, Block, Blumenfield,
Bradford, Brownley, Buchanan, Caballero, Charles
Calderon, Carter, Chesbro, Conway, Cook, Coto, Davis, De
Leon, DeVore, Emmerson, Eng, Feuer, Fong, Fuentes,
Fuller, Furutani, Gaines, Galgiani, Garrick, Gilmore,
Hagman, Hall, Hayashi, Hernandez, Hill, Huber, Huffman,
Jeffries, Jones, Knight, Lieu, Logue, Bonnie Lowenthal,
Ma, Mendoza, Miller, Monning, Nestande, Niello, Nielsen,
Norby, V. Manuel Perez, Portantino, Ruskin, Salas,
Saldana, Silva, Skinner, Smyth, Solorio, Audra
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Strickland, Swanson, Torlakson, Torres, Torrico, Tran,
Yamada
NO VOTE RECORDED: De La Torre, Evans, Fletcher, Harkey,
Nava, Villines, John A. Perez, Vacancy
PQ:do 8/4/10 Senate Floor Analyses
SUPPORT/OPPOSITION: SEE ABOVE
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