01/28/2004

TDLR OFFERS OVERVIEW OF
ELECTRICIAN LICENSING PROGRAM

Officials Will Outline New Program in Freeport

(Austin) - The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) will
provide an overview of the state's new electrician licensing program at
a meeting of the Associated Builders and Contractors of the Gulf Coast
(ABC) on Wednesday.

David Gonzales, TDLRs Building and Mechanical Section Manager, Dennis
Turner, who administers the electricians program for TDLR, and Ray
Audas, a member of TDLRs Electrical Safety and Licensing Advisory Board,
will participate in a panel discussion on the new law at 8 a.m.
Wednesday, January 28th, at C107, Room C of the ABC headquarters at 1400
Velasco in Freeport.

The program was created by House Bill 1487, which was enacted by the
78th Texas Legislature.

Beginning September 1, 2004, Texas will institute its first statewide
licensing program for electricians. The new program creates uniform
minimum qualifications for all electricians statewide and it also
requires electricians to pass a state-approved exam to earn a license
that will authorize them to work anywhere in the state. Currently,
electricians may be required to pass exams in any or all of the
municipalities in which they operate. Also, unincorporated areas
currently have no license requirements for electricians.

The new program also will establish statewide electrical code
requirements to make sure the electrical systems in new homes and
businesses meet minimum safety requirements.

Created in 1909 as the Bureau of Labor Statistics, TDLR protects the
public welfare and safety and promotes a fair and competitive business
environment by regulating twenty diverse industries and programs,
including boxing, air conditioning contractors, and architectural
barriers.