AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 21, 2026
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 19, 2026
AMENDED IN SENATE AUGUST 3, 2026
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE— 2025–2026 REGULAR SESSION
96
Introduced by Assembly Member Davies
February 4, 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.
Vote: majority Appropriation: no Fiscal committee: yes Local program: no
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST
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.
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
(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.
(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.
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.
(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 future to offer, or to cooperate with other educational providers to offer, a complete curriculum for the type of certification involved. The curriculum committee may require an educational provider receiving approval for a partial curriculum to periodically renew its approval with the curriculum committee until a complete curriculum is offered and approved. A partial curriculum means a combination of classes that does not include all classroom educational components of the complete curriculum for one of the categories of certification established pursuant to subdivision (c) of Section 7192.2.
(d) An educational provider that receives approval for a partial curriculum shall disclose in all communications to students and to the public that the educational provider has only received approval for a partial curriculum and shall not make any representations that the provider offers a complete approved curriculum of classroom instruction as established by subparagraph (A) of paragraph (6) of subdivision (a) of Section 7192.
(e) For purposes of this section, a person is enrolled in an approved curriculum of classroom instruction if the person is attending classes on a full-time or part-time basis toward the completion of an approved curriculum.
(f) Registration under this section shall be renewed annually and the registrant shall provide to the Contractors State License Board certification of the classwork completed and on-the-job experience acquired since the prior registration.
(g) For purposes of verifying the information provided by a person registered with the Contractors State License Board, an educational provider of an approved curriculum of classroom instruction shall, upon the Contractors State License Board’s request, provide the Contractors State License Board with information regarding the enrollment status and instruction completed by a person registered. By registering with the Contractors State License Board pursuant to this section, a person consents to the release of this information.
(i)
(h) The Contractors State License Board may issue additional regulations to implement this section as necessary.
(i) For purposes of Section 1773 of the Labor Code, persons employed pursuant to this section do not constitute a separate craft, classification, or type of worker.
(j) Notwithstanding any other law, an uncertified person who has completed an approved curriculum of classroom instruction and is currently registered with the Contractors State License Board may take the certification examination. The person shall be certified upon passing the examination and satisfactorily completing the requisite number of on-the-job hours required for certification. A person who passes the examination prior to completing the requisite hours of on-the-job experience shall continue to comply with subdivision (f).
(a) (1) The Electrician Certification Fund, established by Section 108.5 of the Labor Code, as that section read on January 1, 2027, is continued in existence as a special account in the State Treasury. Proceeds of the fund may be expended by the Contractors State License Board, upon appropriation by the Legislature, for the costs of the Contractors State License Board program to validate and certify electricians as provided by Section 7192 or the registration of electrician trainees, and shall not be used for any other purpose.
(2) The Contractors State License Board may expend proceeds from the Electrician Certification Fund on or after July 1, 2027, as necessary to prepare for the implementation of this chapter. The Division of Labor Standards Enforcement may continue to expend all necessary proceeds from this fund until July 1, 2029, to assist the transition of the electrician certification and registration of electrician trainees from the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement to the Contractors State License Board.
(b) The Contractors State License Board shall establish initial registration and certification fees, and renewal fees necessary to implement this chapter. Notwithstanding Section 13340 of the Government Code, fees collected are continuously appropriated in an amount sufficient to administer this chapter and that amount may be expended by the Contractors State License Board for this purpose.
(c) The fund shall consist of the fees collected pursuant to Section 7192.
(a) This chapter shall become operative on July 1, 2028, or a later date as provided in subdivision (b). To
7192.6.
(a) (1) Except as provided in subdivision (b), the implementation of this chapter is contingent upon an appropriation for its purposes by the Legislature in the annual Budget Act or other statute.
(2) Except as provided in subdivision (b), this chapter shall become operative on the later of July 1, 2028, or the first anniversary of the date on which the appropriation is made.
(b) Subdivision (a) does not apply to Section 7192.5.
(c) To ensure an effective transition of electrician certification and registration of electrician trainees from the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement to the Contractors State License Board, any authority to administer contracts, access bank accounts, or perform any other necessary tasks for the certification of electricians and registration of electrician trainees may be performed by either the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement or the Contractors State License Board until June 30, 2029. Beginning July 1, 2029, the Contractors State License Board is the successor to, and is vested with, all of the duties, powers, and responsibilities of the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement necessary or appropriate only for the certification of electricians and registration of electrician trainees as described in this chapter and in regulations.
(c)
(d) Any electrician certification or trainee registration that is valid on the operative date of this chapter shall remain valid until its expiration according to its existing terms and conditions.
SEC. 2.
Section 108.2 of the Labor Code is amended to read:
108.2.
(a) Persons who perform work as electricians shall become certified pursuant to Section 108. Uncertified persons shall not perform electrical work for which certification is required.
(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 of the Business and Professions Code, 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) An individual desiring to be certified shall submit an application for certification and examination that includes an employment history report from the Social Security Administration. The individual may redact their social security number from the employment history report before it is submitted.
(c) (1) The division 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 of Division 3 (commencing with Section 3070), 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 108.4.
(f) Notwithstanding subdivision (a), certification is not required for a nonresidential lighting trainee (1) who is enrolled in an on-the-job instructional training program approved by the Chief of the Division of Apprenticeship Standards pursuant to Section 3090, and (2) who is under the onsite supervision of a nonresidential lighting technician certified pursuant to Section 108.
(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 108 to perform electrical work for that licensed contractor or to supervise an uncertified person employed by that licensed contractor pursuant to Section 108.4.
(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 of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code:
(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 108.4.
(3) The contractor willfully fails to provide adequate supervision of apprentices performing work pursuant to subdivision (d).
(i) The Labor Commissioner shall maintain a process for referring cases to the Contractors’ State License Board when it has been determined that a violation of this section has likely occurred. The Labor Commissioner shall have a memorandum of understanding with the Registrar of Contractors in furtherance of this section.
(j) Upon receipt of a referral by the Labor Commissioner alleging a violation under this section, the Registrar of Contractors shall open an investigation. Any disciplinary action against the licensee shall be initiated within 60 days of the receipt of the referral. The Registrar of Contractors may initiate disciplinary action against any licensee upon their own investigation, the filing of any complaint, or any finding that results from a referral from the Labor Commissioner alleging a violation under this section. Failure of the employer or employee to provide evidence of certification or trainee status shall create a rebuttable presumption of violation of this provision.
(k) For the purposes of this section, “electricians” has the same meaning as the definition set forth in Section 108.
SEC. 3.
Section 108.6 is added to the Labor Code, immediately following Section 108.5, to read:
108.6.
(a) This chapter shall apply to any applications received on or before July 1, 2028. The Labor Commissioner shall have continuing authority under this chapter to perform any necessary action on such applications received, including, but not limited to, approving the applications, denying the applications, and participating in any hearings regarding the denial of those applications.
(b) This chapter shall remain in effect until July 1, 2029, and as of that date is repealed. repealed, unless an appropriation by the
Legislature was not authorized pursuant to Section 7192.6.