AB1707 - Electricians: certification application, examination, and renewal.

Amended IN Senate August 21, 2026 Amended IN Senate August 19, 2026 Amended IN Senate August 03, 2026 CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION Assembly Bill No. 1707 Introduced by Assembly Member Davies February 04, 2026 An act to add Chapter 9.1 (commencing with Section 7192) to Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code, and to amend Section 108.2 of, to add Section 108.6 to, and to repeal Chapter 4.5 (commencing with Section 108) of Division 1 of, the Labor Code, relating to employment. LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST AB 1707, as amended, Davies. Electricians: certification application, examination, and renewal. Existing law establishes the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement, under the direction of the Labor Commissioner, within the Department of Industrial Relations, for the purpose of enforcing labor laws. Existing law requires the division to maintain minimum standards for the competency and training of electricians through a system of testing and certification. Existing law requires the division to issue certification cards to electricians who have been certified and paid a fee, in accordance with certain procedures. This bill would authorize an individual who fails the certification examination to immediately submit an application to retake the examination, as specified. The bill would transfer authority over the certification of electricians from the division to the Contractors State License Board, contingent upon an appropriation for these purposes by the Legislature and pursuant to certain timelines and procedures. Digest Key Vote: MAJORITY Appropriation: NO Fiscal Committee: YES Local Program: NO Bill Text The people of the State of California do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Chapter 9.1 (commencing with Section 7192) is added to Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code, to read: CHAPTER 9.1. Electrician Certification 7192. (a) The Contractors State License Board shall do all of the following: (1) Maintain minimum standards for the competency and training of electricians through a system of testing and certification. (2) Maintain an advisory committee and panels as necessary to carry out the functions under this section. There shall be contractor representation from both joint apprenticeship programs and unilateral nonunion programs in the electrical contracting industry. (3) Establish and collect fees necessary to implement this section. (4) Carry out the responsibilities of the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement transferred by Chapter 46 of the Statutes of 2021 from the Division of Apprenticeship Standards that are specified in Subchapter 4 (commencing with Section 290) of Chapter 2 of Division 1 of Title 8 of the California Code of Regulations (Subchapter 4 regulations) and adopt regulations consistent with this chapter. Notwithstanding any other law, and until the time the board adopts regulations to implement this chapter, all regulations and forms that are in effect immediately preceding July 1, 2028, shall remain in effect and shall be administered and enforced by the board, until the operative date of regulations adopted by the board to implement this chapter. Pending amendments to conform to this chapter, any reference within the Subchapter 4 regulations to the director is deemed a reference to the Registrar of Contractors, any reference to the Division of Apprenticeship Standards or division is deemed a reference to the Contractors State License Board, and references to prior statutory sections are deemed to refer to current statutory language as follows: (A) References to former Section 3099 of the Labor Code refer to this section of this code. (B) References to former Section 3099.2 of the Labor Code refer to current Section 7192.2 of this code. (C) References to former Section 3099.3 of the Labor Code refer to current Section 7192.3 of this code. (D) References to former Section 3099.4 of the Labor Code refer to current Section 7192.4 of this code. (E) References to former Section 3099.5 of the Labor Code refer to current Section 7192.5 of this code. (5) Issue certification cards to electricians who have been certified pursuant to this chapter. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, fees collected pursuant to paragraph (3) are continuously appropriated in an amount sufficient to pay the costs of issuing certification cards, and that amount may be expended for that purpose by the Contractors State License Board. (6) Maintain an electrician certification curriculum committee comprised of representatives of the State Department of Education, the California Community Colleges, and the Contractors State License Board. The electrician certification curriculum committee shall do all of the following: (A) Establish written educational curriculum standards for enrollees in training programs established pursuant to Section 7192.4. (B) If an educational provider’s curriculum meets the written educational curriculum standards established pursuant to subparagraph (A), designate that curriculum as an approved curriculum of classroom instruction. (C) At the committee’s discretion, review the approved curriculum of classroom instruction of any designated educational provider. The committee may withdraw its approval of the curriculum if the educational provider does not continue to meet the established written educational curriculum standards. (D) Require each designated educational provider to submit an annual notice to the committee stating whether the educational provider is continuing to offer the approved curriculum of classroom instruction and whether any material changes have been made to the curriculum since its approval. (b) There shall be no discrimination for or against any person based on membership or nonmembership in a union. (c) As used in this section, “electricians” includes all persons who engage in the connection of electrical devices and conductors for electrical contractors licensed pursuant to Section 7058, specifically, contractors classified as electrical contractors in the Contractors State License Board Rules and Regulations. (d) This chapter does not apply to electrical connections under 100 volt-amperes. This chapter does not apply to persons performing work to which Section 7042.5 is applicable, or to electrical work ordinarily and customarily performed by stationary engineers. This chapter does not apply to electrical work in connection with the installation, operation, or maintenance of temporary or portable electrical equipment performed by technicians in the theatrical, motion picture production, television, hotel, exhibition, or trade show industries. 7192.2. (a) Persons who perform work as electricians shall become certified pursuant to this chapter. Uncertified persons shall not perform electrical work for which certification is required. required, unless authorized pursuant to Section 7192.4. (b) (1) Certification is required only for those persons who perform work as electricians for contractors licensed as class C-10 electrical contractors under the Contractors State License Board Rules and Regulations. (2) Certification is not required for persons performing work for contractors licensed as class C-7 low-voltage systems or class C-45 electric sign contractors as long as the work performed is within the scope of the class C-7 or class C-45 license, including incidental and supplemental work as defined in Section 7059, and regardless of whether the same contractor is also licensed as a class C-10 contractor. (3) Certification is not required for work performed by a worker on a high-voltage electrical transmission or distribution system owned by a local publicly owned electric utility, as defined in Section 224.3 of the Public Utilities Code, an electrical corporation, as defined in Section 218 of the Public Utilities Code, a person, as defined in Section 205 of the Public Utilities Code, or a corporation, as defined in Section 204 of the Public Utilities Code, when the worker is employed by the utility or a licensed contractor principally engaged in installing or maintaining transmission or distribution systems. (4) Individuals desiring to be certified shall submit an application for certification and examination that includes an employment history report from the Social Security Administration. Administration, or other form of verifiable employment history as determined by the Contractors State License Board. The individual may redact their social security number from the employment history report before it is submitted. (c) (1) The Contractors State License Board shall maintain separate certifications for general electrician, fire/life fire or life safety technician, residential electrician, voice data video technician, and nonresidential lighting technician. (2) An individual may submit an application for retest and the required test fee immediately if they fail the electrician certification examination and the individual may retake the examination no sooner than 21 days upon approval after receipt of the submission of the retest examination application and required fee. After one year following the date of notification of eligibility, an unsuccessful applicant shall submit a new application and make new payment of fees. (d) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), certification is not required for registered apprentices performing electrical work as part of an apprenticeship program approved under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 3070) of Division 3 of the Labor Code, a federal Office of Apprenticeship program, or a state apprenticeship program authorized by the federal Office of Apprenticeship. An apprentice who is within one year of completion of their term of apprenticeship shall be permitted to take the certification examination and, upon passing the examination, shall be certified immediately upon completion of the term of apprenticeship. (e) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), certification is not required for any person employed pursuant to Section 7192.4. (f) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), certification is not required for a nonresidential lighting trainee who is both of the following: (1) Enrolled in an on-the-job instructional training program approved by the Chief of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards pursuant to Section 3090 of the Labor Code. (2) Under the onsite supervision of a nonresidential lighting technician certified pursuant to Section 7192. (g) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), the qualifying person for a class C-10 electrical contractor license issued by the Contractors State License Board need not also be certified pursuant to Section 7192 to perform electrical work for that licensed contractor or to supervise an uncertified person employed by that licensed contractor pursuant to Section 7192.4. (h) The following shall constitute additional grounds for disciplinary proceedings, including suspension or revocation of the license of a class C-10 electrical contractor pursuant to Article 7 (commencing with Section 7090) of Chapter 9: (1) The contractor willfully employs one or more uncertified persons to perform work as electricians in violation of this section. (2) The contractor willfully fails to provide the adequate supervision of uncertified workers required by paragraph (3) of subdivision (a) of Section 7192.4. (3) The contractor willfully fails to provide adequate supervision of apprentices performing work pursuant to subdivision (d). (i) The Registrar of Contractors may initiate disciplinary action against any licensee upon their own investigation, or the filing of any complaint. Failure of the employer or employee to provide evidence of certification or trainee status shall create a rebuttable presumption of violation of this section. (j) For the purposes of this section, “electricians” has the same meaning as the definition set forth in Section 7192. 7192.3. The Contractors State License Board shall do all of the following: (a) Make information about electrician certification available in non-English languages spoken by a substantial number of construction workers, as defined in Section 7296.2 of the Government Code. (b) Provide for the administration of certification tests in Spanish and, to the extent practicable, other non-English languages spoken by a substantial number of applicants, as defined in Section 7296.2 of the Government Code, except insofar as the ability to understand warning signs, instructions, and certain other information in English is necessary for safety reasons. (c) Ensure, in conjunction with the California Apprenticeship Council, that all electrician apprenticeship programs approved under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 3070) of Division 3 of the Labor Code that impose minimum formal education requirements as a condition of entry provide for reasonable alternative means of satisfying those requirements. (d) Ensure, in conjunction with the California Apprenticeship Council, that all electrician apprenticeship programs approved under Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 3070) of Division 3 of the Labor Code have adopted reasonable procedures for granting credit toward a term of apprenticeship for other vocational training and on-the-job training experience. 7192.4. (a) An uncertified person may perform electrical work for which certification is otherwise required under this chapter in order to acquire the necessary on-the-job experience for certification, if all of the following requirements are met: (1) The person is registered with the Contractors State License Board. A list of current registrants shall be maintained by the Contractors State License Board and made available to the public upon request. (2) The person has completed or is enrolled in an approved curriculum of classroom instruction. (3) (A) The employer attests that the person shall be under the direct supervision of an electrician certified pursuant to Section 7192 who is responsible for supervising no more than one uncertified person. An employer who is found by the Contractors State License Board to have failed to provide adequate supervision may be barred by the Contractors State License Board from employing uncertified individuals pursuant to this section in the future. (B) The Contractors State License Board shall issue regulations that determine an adequate level of supervision of apprentices. (b) For purposes of this section, “an approved curriculum of classroom instruction” means a curriculum of classroom instruction approved by the electrician certification curriculum committee established pursuant to paragraph (6) of subdivision (a) of Section 7192 and provided under the jurisdiction of the State Department of Education, the Board of Governors of the California Community Colleges, or the Bureau for Private Postsecondary Education. (c) The curriculum committee may grant approval to an educational provider that presently offers only a partial curriculum if the educational provider intends in the [Text truncated for display. Full text available on Congress.gov.]