Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Washington Legislature, fetched 2026-08-29. This is the chaptered version. The official bill page.
CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5265 Chapter 132, Laws of 2025 69TH LEGISLATURE 2025 REGULAR SESSION ELECTRICAL INSPECTORS—OUT-OF-STATE EXPERIENCE EFFECTIVE DATE: July 27, 2025 Passed by the Senate February 26, 2025 Yeas 46 Nays 2 DENNY HECK President of the Senate Passed by the House April 10, 2025 Yeas 96 Nays 0 LAURIE JINKINS Speaker of the House of Representatives CERTIFICATE I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5265 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth. SARAH BANNISTER Secretary Secretary Approved April 22, 2025 9:54 AM FILED April 22, 2025 BOB FERGUSON Governor of the State of Washington Secretary of State State of Washington SUBSTITUTE SENATE BILL 5265 Passed Legislature - 2025 Regular Session State of Washington 69th Legislature 2025 Regular Session By Senate Labor & Commerce (originally sponsored by Senators King, Boehnke, Chapman, Dozier, and Harris) READ FIRST TIME 02/10/25. AN ACT Relating to expanding minimum requirements for electrical inspectors to include certain out-of-state experience; and amending RCW 19.28.321. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON: Sec. 1. RCW 19.28.321 and 2024 c 196 s 1 are each amended to read as follows: The director of labor and industries of the state of Washington and the officials of all incorporated cities and towns where electrical inspections are required by local ordinances shall have power and it shall be their duty to enforce the provisions of this chapter in their respective jurisdictions. The director of labor and industries shall appoint a chief electrical inspector and may appoint other electrical inspectors as the director deems necessary to assist the director in the performance of the director's duties. The chief electrical inspector, subject to the review of the director, shall be responsible for providing the final interpretation of adopted state electrical standards, rules, and policies for the department and its inspectors, assistant inspectors, electrical plan examiners, and other individuals supervising electrical program personnel. If a dispute arises within the department regarding the interpretation of adopted state electrical standards, rules, or policies, the chief electrical inspector, subject to the review of the director, shall provide the final interpretation of the disputed standard, rule, or policy. All electrical inspectors appointed by the director of labor and industries shall have not less than: Four years experience as journey level electricians in the electrical construction trade installing and maintaining electrical wiring and equipment; a journey level electrician certificate issued by the department and eight years of experience in the electrical construction trade installing and maintaining electrical wiring and equipment, four years of which occurred after obtaining a journey level electrician license or certificate by examination from another state electrical licensing or certification authority that has a reciprocal licensing agreement with the department for journey level electricians; or four years experience as a journey level electrician performing the duties of an electrical inspector employed by the department or a city or town with an approved inspection program under RCW 19.28.141, except that for work performed in accordance with the national electrical safety code and covered by this chapter, such inspections may be performed by a person certified as an outside journeyperson lineworker, under RCW 19.28.261(5)(b), with four years experience or a person with four years experience as a certified outside journeyperson lineworker performing the duties of an electrical inspector employed by an electrical utility. Such state inspectors shall be paid such salary as the director of labor and industries shall determine, together with their travel expenses in accordance with RCW 43.03.050 and 43.03.060 as now existing or hereafter amended. As a condition of employment, inspectors hired exclusively to perform inspections in accordance with the national electrical safety code must possess and maintain certification as an outside journeyperson lineworker. The expenses of the director of labor and industries and the salaries and expenses of state inspectors incurred in carrying out the provisions of this chapter shall be paid entirely out of the electrical license fund, upon vouchers approved by the director of labor and industries. Passed by the Senate February 26, 2025. Passed by the House April 10, 2025. Approved by the Governor April 22, 2025. Filed in Office of Secretary of State April 22, 2025.
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