CSAEW Sponsoring Bills to Increase Public Safety, Efficiency, and Maintain High Standards
The California State Association of Electrical Workers is sponsoring a bill, AB 1707 (Davies), that will improve coordination between agencies and ensure that only qualified and trained electricians are allowed to do complex electrical work.
A simple administrative change, this bill calls for improving efficiency and qualifications for electrical work by transferring oversight from the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement (DLSE) to the Contractors State License Board (CSLB). Doing so would place certification for electricians under the same agency that already licenses and regulates electrical contractors.
This alignment improves efficiency and coordination while maintaining the existing certification standards and qualifications that ensure electrical work is performed by trained and qualified professionals.
AB 1707 WILL:
- Transfer administration of electrician certification from DLSE to CSLB, streamlining oversight under a single regulatory agency.
- Maintain all existing certification standards and qualifications, with no change to safety or competency requirements.
- Allow applicants who do not pass the certification examination to more quickly reregister and retest, reducing unnecessary delays for qualified workers. Reducing unnecessary delays helps qualified individuals advance in their careers while continuing to uphold the integrity and safety standards of California’s electrician certification program.
By improving the administration of the certification process while maintaining existing requirements, AB 1707 supports a stronger, more efficient system that benefits workers, employers, and the public.
Other bills CSAEW have prioritized on behalf of our members and public safety:
Support:
- SB 1330 – This key bill, which CSAEW is sponsoring, calls for enhanced criminal penalties for assault on utility workers, putting them on par with protections currently in place for fire, police and EMTs.
- SB 886 – Datacenter tariffs to offset costs to the public
- SB 887 – Requires data center projects to meet strong labor standards
- SB 954 – Restores strong labor standards for advanced manufacturing project that were exempted from CEQA
- AB 2383 – Ensures that large electricity users pay their fair share for grid enhancement costs
Oppose:
- AB 2313 – Puts workers and the public at risk by raiding the gas line safety fund before pilot programs have been fully evaluated and shifts higher costs on to consumers
- AB 2748 – Weakens current EV-ready building codes for affordable housing, setting a dangerous precent for exemptions