Governor signs Manweller legislation protecting electrician jobs

A bill sponsored by Rep. Matt Manweller that will protect certain electricians from losing their jobs has been signed into law by Gov. Jay Inslee.

Manweller says House Bill 2886 protects specialty electricians from being out of compliance with the law and potentially being fined by the state Department of Labor and Industries.

The law authorizes the department to modify the scopes of work for certain electrician specialties by rule rather than rely on changes to statute.

"With the frequent advancements in technology the scope of work required for specialty electricians is constantly changing," said Manweller, R-Ellensburg. "We do not want the state agency to tell an electrician their work is out of compliance because a phone, computer or other piece of equipment has added some new features.

"While I hesitate to grant our state agencies additional rule-making authority, this is needed to protect these jobs," Manweller said.

"Imagine if your college changed degree requirements long after you graduated and then told you your degree was no longer valid," said Manweller. "This law will make sure an electrician's license does not become invalid because of events beyond their control."