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Read. Follow. Verify.Pennsylvania establishes state licensure for electrical contractors and electricians and appropriates $85,000
Last action · February 20, 2025: Referred to PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, Feb. 20, 2025Sponsors: Ed Neilson and 16 others
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What This Bill Would Do
Pennsylvania House Bill 98 establishes mandatory state licensure for electrical contractors, electricians, and apprentice electricians, creating the State Board of Electrical Licensure to oversee qualifications, examinations, and continuing education. The measure preempts local municipal licensing requirements, mandates professional liability insurance for contractors, and appropriates $85,000 to the Department of State for initial startup costs. Violations of the act are classified as third-degree misdemeanors, and the board is empowered to levy civil penalties of up to $10,000.
Electrical professionals across Pennsylvania will be required to obtain state licenses, pay renewal fees, and complete continuing education hours every three years, while local municipalities are barred from requiring separate local competency licenses.
- Professional and occupational licensing boards in Pennsylvania operate within the Department of State under the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs. context
- House Bill 98 was introduced in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives and referred to the Committee on Professional Licensure. context
Who It Would Affect
Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
Electrical contractors
Must obtain a state license, carry professional liability insurance, display license numbers on advertisements and vehicles, complete 24 hours of continuing education every three years, and meet experience thresholds.
Electricians
Must obtain a state license, pass examinations, carry proof of licensure while working, and complete 12 hours of continuing education every three years.
Apprentice electricians
Must register with the Department of Labor and Industry, be at least 16 years old, and work under the direct onsite supervision of a licensed electrician.
Municipalities
Local qualification ordinances and competency licenses for electrical workers are preempted by the state act, though municipalities retain powers to levy taxes, issue business privilege licenses, and enforce health and safety building codes.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is required to obtain a license under this act?
Can local municipalities still require their own electrical licenses?
What are the continuing education requirements for license renewal?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.
Procedural history
1 action- Feb 20, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE, Feb. 20, 2025
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Sponsors
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Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Centralization of Electrical Licensing
The legislation shifts oversight of electrical worker competence from fragmented local municipal regulations to a centralized state board.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.palegis.us
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance85How much this matters to a regular citizen
- Controversy40Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment10Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz35Current news / social attention level
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