Contractors urge Kansas to consider statewide electrician licensing for easier multistate work
Contractors told the committee Kansas lacks a statewide electrician license and relies on a patchwork of municipal permits; they recommended a statewide credential and interstate reciprocity to reduce administrative costs and make Kansas businesses more competitive for multi-state projects.
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Jim Smelsley, director of manufacturing at Northwind Technical Services, and Mike Gibson of the Associated General Contractors described how local licensing of electricians across Kansas creates administrative burdens for employers who operate statewide. Smelsley said Kansas does not issue a statewide journeyman/master electrician license in many cases; instead, cities require separate local licenses. "If I work in Topeka and I want to go work in Lawrence, I have to get a license in Lawrence," Smelsley told the committee. He recommended creating a statewide electrical licensing system and negotiating reciprocity with neighboring states so Kansas employers can deploy workers more quickly.
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