Senator seeks technical fix to clarify appointment process for Board of Stationary Engineers

Senator Simon Eyre on behalf of the sponsor asked the Economic Matters Committee to approve Senate Bill 147, a technical amendment to clarify how members of the Board of Stationary Engineers are appointed. The bill would add the word "consent" to statutory language so the statute states appointees are made "by the governor with the advice and consent of the Senate." Eyre said the change would align statute with current practice and Department of Labor materials and that there is no opposition or fiscal impact.

The change arises from an apparent omission in current law that leaves the statute reading that appointees are made "with the advice of the Senate," language the sponsor said appears nowhere else in statute. Eyre told the committee the board protects the public by overseeing safe operation of power plants and related machinery and that the bill merely clarifies the appointment process so it matches the way appointments have been handled "in practice." He asked for the committee's "favorable consideration."

Committee members asked brief clarifying questions about the practical effect of adding the word "consent." One committee member summarized the change as allowing the Senate to confirm appointees; Eyre agreed. The sponsor stated the Department of Labor supports the bill and that there is no opposition.

No formal vote on SB 147 was recorded during the hearing; the item was presented as a bill hearing with sponsor testimony and questions from the committee.