Committee reviews transfer of plumbing and electrical inspectors to Fire Marshal, debates inspection changes for barbering and cosmetology

The Executive Departments and Administration Committee reviewed HB 2 proposals to transfer nine plumbing, gas and electrical inspector positions from the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC) to the Department of Safety—s Fire Marshal—s office, and also examined broader proposed changes to barbering, cosmetology and school inspection rules.

Diana Juris, executive director of OPLC, told the committee the nine positions comprise five mechanical inspectors (plumbing, gas fitting and heating) and four electrical inspectors. Juris said the inspectors— work is largely a public-safety function — "we want electricians to be complying with the code so that there are not fires in buildings" — and that the inspections are not tied to a single licensed facility but instead occur across residences and businesses statewide. Juris and attorney Nicholas Fry said the governor—s proposal would move the positions into the Fire Marshal—s office and that the administration—s expectation was those positions be funded with general funds after the transfer; currently the inspector pay is financed from a pooled licensing-fee fund.

Committee members asked for confirmation that the Department of Safety understood and would budget for nine full-time positions plus related costs; staff said the agencies had received the fiscal-note worksheet request for HB 2 and that updated financial information should follow. Members did not object to the transfer in principle but flagged the funding change for Finance staff to confirm.

On barbering and cosmetology, committee members reviewed a proposed repeal-and-replace of current statutory inspection language. Current statute requires sanitary inspections at least once a year; the draft in HB 2 would require an inspection at initial licensure and thereafter permit biannual routine inspections unless a shop or school holds a recognized training/certification (an OSHA-equivalent certificate or similar) that meets sanitation training standards. Under the draft, owners failing to maintain compliance would still face disciplinary proceedings.

Members raised multiple drafting questions: several lines in the draft appeared to remove the explicit licensing or facility-inspection requirement for schools; committee members asked OPLC staff to clarify intent and said the removal of the word "and" in a rulemaking clause could unintentionally eliminate school approvals. Staff agreed to propose clarified language and to preserve facility-licensing where intended. The panel also asked staff to ensure that inspection-frequency changes and the certificate option are coherent with pending bills that would change training-hour requirements.

There was no committee vote on these items. Staff said they would circulate clarified language to the chairs of Divisions 1 and the licensing subcommittee and would return with corrected drafting and fiscal information.