Bill Text: HI HR54 | 2015 | Regular Session | Introduced
Bill Title: Feasibility Study for the Creation of a Structural Licensing Board
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2015-03-16 - Referred to LAB, CPC, referral sheet 33 [HR54 Detail]
Download: Hawaii-2015-HR54-Introduced.html
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES |
H.R. NO. |
54 |
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TWENTY-EIGHTH LEGISLATURE, 2015 |
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STATE OF HAWAII |
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HOUSE RESOLUTION
REQUESTING THE AUDITOR TO CONDUCT A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THE CREATION OF A STRUCTURAL LICENSING BOARD.
WHEREAS, worker and public safety are unduly put at jeopardy when a contractor is allowed to employ unqualified workers to install and erect structural steel; and
WHEREAS, current contractor licensing laws are insufficient to ensure the safety of workers who install and erect structural steel and allow contractors to jeopardize worker safety by employing workers who are not qualified to install and erect structural steel; and
WHEREAS, installing and erecting structural steel is one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States and is often performed at great heights, where a fall on the job can lead to fatalities or serious injuries or both; and
WHEREAS, installing and erecting structural steel is an incredibly demanding job that requires specialized skills to handle heavy steel; and
WHEREAS, appropriate worker and supervisor training and experience are necessary to ensure a safe work environment for the installation and erection of structural steel; and
WHEREAS, the Contractors License Board is not set up to specifically address the specialized licensing needs and concerns that involve structural steel erection; and
WHEREAS, it is unreasonable to expect a board of thirteen volunteers that comprise the Contractors License Board, none of whom currently possess the qualifications to erect structural steel, to be well versed in the very specific requirements of installation and erection of structural steel; and
WHEREAS, there are four license classifications under the purview of the Contractors License Board that critically involve the specialty expertise of a Structural Steel Worker, namely C-38 Post tensioning, C-41 Reinforcing steel, C-48 Structural steel, and C-56 Welding, which should be regulated under a specialized Structural Licensing Board that is responsive to the needs of this specialized work; and
WHEREAS, the public's health, safety, and welfare is unduly put at risk given the lack of a Structural Licensing Board with specialized expertise in the particular working conditions and skill sets relevant to these license categories; and
WHEREAS, the State has a history of protecting the public's health, safety, and welfare through the creation of specialty license boards, such as the Board of Electricians and Plumbers; now, therefore,
BE IT RESOLVED by the House of Representatives of the Twenty-eighth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2015, that the Auditor is requested to prepare a report that makes statutory revision recommendations for the creation of a Structural License Board modeled after the Board of Electricians and Plumbers; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor is requested to include the following in the report:
(1) A feasibility determination for the creation of a Structural Licensing Board;
(2) Suggested amendments or modifications to the practice of issuing C-38 Post tensioning, C-41 Reinforcing steel, C-48 Structural steel, and C-56 Welding licenses;
(3) A brief description of the process the Auditor used in making its findings and recommendations in the report;
(4) The recommendations and information provided by all stakeholders that participated in the process and justifications for why recommendations of stakeholders were included or not in the Auditor's final recommendations; and
(5) An estimate of the cost for the creation of a Structural Licensing Board; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor consult with relevant stakeholders, including the Hawaii Iron Workers Stabilization Fund, Hawaii Iron Workers Union Local 625, the Hawaii Building and Construction Trades Council, the Contractors License Board, the Board of Electricians and Plumbers, the Structural Engineers Association of Hawaii, and contractors that hold C-38 Post tensioning, C-41 Reinforcing steel, C-48 Structural steel, or C-56 Welding licenses; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Legislative Reference Bureau is requested to assist the Auditor in preparing the report, including any recommendations for amendments to chapter 444, Hawaii Revised Statutes; the Auditor is requested to submit its findings and recommendations, including recommendations for proposed legislation, to the Legislative Reference Bureau no later than November 1, 2015; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Auditor is requested to submit a final report, including any recommendations for amendments to chapter 444, Hawaii Revised Statutes, to the Legislature no later than twenty days prior to the convening of the Regular Session of 2016; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to the Auditor, Director of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Acting Director of the Legislative Reference Bureau, Governor, Vice-Chairperson of the Board of Electricians and Plumbers, and Chairperson of the Contractors License Board.
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OFFERED BY: |
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Feasibility Study for the Creation of a Structural Licensing Board
