Committee hears bill to let Oregon electrical experience count toward Washington inspector credential

The Labor & Workplace Standards Committee heard testimony March 19 on Substitute Senate Bill 5265, sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Curtis King (14th Legislative District), which would allow certain out-of-state journey-level electrician experience to count toward Washington electrical inspector qualifications.

Jim Morishima, staff to the committee, told members the bill would add as eligible an individual who "has a journey level electrician certificate issued by LNI and 8 years of experience installing electrical wiring and equipment, 4 years of which as a journey level electrician in a state that has a reciprocal licensing agreement with Washington." He noted that, "according to the report, only Oregon currently has such a reciprocal agreement."

The bill is aimed at addressing a historical shortage of electrical inspectors in cities and counties, Sen. Curtis King said, and was narrowed after stakeholder discussions. "There has been in the past a shortage of electrical inspectors," King said. He told the committee this version focuses on bringing electricians from reciprocal states into the pool of candidates rather than opening broader, multi-state pathways.

Supporters at the hearing said the change would expand the candidate pool and help local governments complete inspections in a timely way. Matthew Hefner, executive director of the Certified Electrical Workers of Washington, said the measure "doubles the pool of candidates who are eligible to apply for the electrician inspector positions with states that we share reciprocal licensing with" and urged the committee to pass the bill. Shree Tirunathari, representing the City of Vancouver, told the committee the bill was particularly relevant for border communities that regularly move labor and services across the state line and that additional inspectors would help process housing permits more quickly.

Several unions indicated support for the bill as a pragmatic step to increase qualified inspectors without lowering standards. Testimony noted the bill is a limited step and that broader reciprocity was discussed but scoped down to reach agreement among stakeholders.

The committee took no final action at the hearing. Members suspended and later reopened the hearing on the bill during the same meeting for additional testimony.