Bill would raise penalties for licensed electricians who do unlicensed business, sponsors say public safety at stake

Senator Stan Clouse told the Judiciary Committee LB 889 raises the penalty for certain electrical-licensing violations—from a class 1 misdemeanor to a class 4 felony—to deter unlicensed or fraudulent licensed electricians and to protect consumer safety.

The sponsor said the measure targets licensed electricians who knowingly and willingly violate licensure or permitting requirements, make false statements on license applications, perform electrical work without required permits or inspections, interfere with inspectors, or fail to comply with orders from the State Electrical Division. Clouse said county attorneys often do not pursue misdemeanor cases because of workload or perceived low priority and that unsafe work by unlicensed individuals can require costly remediation.

Craig Thelen, director of the State Electrical Division, testified the board cannot sanction unlicensed people and that recent cases of dangerous, substandard or incorrectly sited equipment (an example of a panel placed in a bathroom and later found filled with water) underscore the public-safety rationale for stiffer penalties. Thelen clarified homeowners can still perform their own electrical work; the statute targets persons doing work for others or holding themselves out for hire. The Division maintains a license-search database for the public.

Committee members asked whether the bill could criminalize an unpaid helper or an honest paperwork error and whether "holding out" or being paid should be an element; testimony and the sponsor agreed the enforcement focus is on paid or held-out-for-hire conduct and fraudulent claims of licensure. No opponents testified at the hearing; the sponsor closed the bill with a public-safety framing.