Bill: HB 3029, 85(R) - 2017

Committee

House Licensing & Administrative Procedures

2nd Chamber Committee

Senate Business & Commerce

Vote Recommendation

Vote Recommendation Economic Freedom Property Rights Personal Responsibility Limited Government Individual Liberty
Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral Neutral

Author(s)

John Frullo

Sponsor(s)

John Whitmire

Bill Caption

Relating to air conditioning and refrigeration contracting and the education and certification of air conditioning and refrigeration technicians.

Fiscal Notes

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB3029, As Introduced: a positive impact of $115 through the biennium ending August 31, 2019.

The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

Bill Analysis

HB 3029 would amend the Occupations Code to do away with "registered certified technician" and replace it with "certified technician" for air conditioning and refrigeration. The proscribed training and education requirements to become certified would be updated. The conditions for a technician certification are outlined in this bill. The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation would be required to accept or approve the education providers or verify the required work experience of the applicant. New certified technician applications would be submitted to the department beginning September 1, 2018.

A person would commit an offense if the person knowingly engages in air conditioning maintenance and is not a student of the designated type. HB 3029 would repeal the authority for a municipality to charge a fee to a person who obtains a license under the statute and is then required to provide notice to the municipality authority that enforces air conditioning and refrigeration contracting. A certified registered technician registration issued before September 1, 2018 would be allowed to continue in existence based on former statute.

Vote Recommendation Notes

The stated goal of this bill is to modernize the process for becoming a certified air conditioning and refrigeration technician in order to get more people certified in the profession to meet growing demand. The best way to do that would be to repeal the occupational licensure regime altogether rather than to tinker with the process for becoming certified. Because this makes changes that do not appear to alter the net amount of government-imposed burden to become certified in this field we remain neutral.
Source URL (retrieved on 04/20/2024 04:04 AM): http://reports.texasaction.com/bill/85r/hb3029?print_view=true