Council hears proposal to align Temple’s electrical code with 2023 state standard

Temple building officials asked the council on May 1 to adopt a code amendment that would align the city’s electrical code with the 2023 National Electrical Code as implemented by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR).

John McGowan, identified as the city’s chief building official, and staff explained the change would bring the city into line with the state requirement that electricians be licensed to the most current applicable code. McGowan said inspectors and contractors had been operating in a confused state at times because state licensing and city code were out of sync, and that adopting the 2023 code in the city’s chapter 10 would harmonize inspections, licensing and enforcement.

Council members asked whether the city already enforces the 2023 standard; staff replied that many builders and electricians already design to the 2023 code and that the proposed amendment is primarily a cleanup to match state practice. Staff said the city typically adopts codes a cycle or two behind model codes—citing concerns about product availability and cost at the release of a new code—but that the 2023 electrical provisions make safety improvements for emergent topics such as solar and electric vehicles.

No formal adoption vote was taken at the workshop; staff said updating the broader set of building codes (International Residential Code/International Building Code) is on the department’s upcoming work plan and that additional code updates would be considered in subsequent months.