Hoii.C. E. :Belk.,,~gdminlptrator,'

Board of-Plysbing +aminers~., " ?; .'; " 904. Lava* :' .' ; ..'~ Austin, Texas, "' '. .I, opinlon.~oo.:~-6gl.. I
1..lie:.

Wh+&~perspqs ‘mayeni 'i:, 1; .:. ..,~:,,

gage ln ;p!u$blnswithout

. *"Statef plumbing license
:. :.

:;'by vl.utue

of their work .". ..,. being supervised'by a .i ,:. ,.,~..,; :.;:;. . ., __; !' : ;. _: :State l~censed'mster

_ '._..i .'," ?'.. .?P!y?;'. : '? : .: ,.: Dear Mr. Be?&

'. %ie quote fe$'+& request,'datedAugust 27, as follows'::.

..' ,; ..,, -;:i. "a,gene~al.builaing'contractor holds'a State M+ster Pl@b&~s~l~cen%- -He is doing plumbing work:on thebugldlsgs 'whichhe"has 'Y. under contract and using ur&censed plumbers to do this work. It Is his contention that Section,l4~

of the l+wlallowshti to do this. 1.i.. .... z

. ..vill ~ou'plesse advise us:~whether this 

### .orany other Section'of theAct; exempts suci persons from the Jlcenslng requlregnents of the Plumbing License Law of 19471" ',&&2tion 2 of the Plumbing License Law of 1947, we find the':deflhition of the actlvvity

of'~"plumblng", which Is regulated by the licensing statute, and we set out that def5udtloq asfqllows: ..~

"The,word~orterm.~plumbWg* as used In this Act meansand shall lnc$ude: (1)All .pip@g, f*tures,'~app+%euauces a* appllauces for; a supply of Waters or gas; or both; for all pe%sonal or domestic purposes in and about bulldings where a person or persons live, work or

### 476 Hon. C. E. Belk, Page 2, (V-691)

ass6mble; all'piplng, fixtures,appurte- . 1~ .,,,. :'
nances and appliances outside a building :,'.' connecting the building with the source of water or gas supply, 

### or both, on the prem- s '.J lses, or th45

main in the street, alley or. :.._, at the curb; all piping, flxtures~ appurtenances,appliances., drain or waste pipes carryingwaste water or sewage from or,with-~ in a building to the sewer service lateral at the curb or In the &reet or, alley or other disposal terminalholding private 'or domestic sewage; (2) the installation,rg' pair and maintenance of all piping, flxturis, appurtenancesand appliances In and about buildings where a person or persons. live,work or ass~enible, for a supply of gas, water, or both, ~6rdisposal of waste water : or sewage."
We also.&.out the definitions of @Master. Plumbers" an&"Jouriieymen Plumbers" from Section 2 of the Act, as follows:

"(b) IiWaster Pluniber' within ihe ." .~. niearkg of this Act Iti a plumber havipg':' ._ a regular place of business, who, by himself, or through a person or persons in his employ, performsLplusiblug 

### work,and who has successfully fu~filled~~the.e+!inatlonsand. requirements of thy Board.~ "(c) A ~Journeyman'Plujniber~ within the meatiing

of this Act is any person other. than a mskter plumber who engages in or works at the actual installation, ,alteratlon, rek pap and renovatlng.of plumbing; ati who has successfully falfilled the examinations aod~. requirements of .the;Board."': " Section 3 .ofthe Act provides the'express exemptlons &lowed under the Act. .We.,find ti exemption which ~a&ll~s tom

your pa&Multi situationi Section 14 of the Act provldes'as 

### folloW&
"After w expiration of one hundred twe&y days from the effective date of 

### MS Act,,no person, whether as a master pleer,

;..

. Hon. C. E. Belk, Page ~3.(V.&Il) .:R.:.~ :;,..~ ,;; -: _,:.,.:

47+7 ::

forany persons

to engage.

in, work“at, or conduct the business: of:plumblng ln~this state or serve as ~a'plunibing inspector as

plumb&ng~work..except ,asspeclflcallgherein provided unless such,lnstallationof plumbiog:ror.plambin~.~work~.be.~under the supervislon and control of a plumber licensedunder .,this Act: landd,t,.is,expressly provided that ~~;~o.vislbns';'of.,Artlcle l22.of the Penal Cod&of: aexas~.'?ha;ll,~.apply,..to violations of . this Actiizapd-

said Article I.22

of the Penal. .Code 'andthe p&alties therein provlded'are hereby expressly referred to..'! :.' ." ,::.~~Spctcifical~y,~~.you ask tihether

the underlined portionof. Sectlou 14 set o~t,~above~exempts from the llcenslng.requirementof the Act those who engage In pluxbing under the.sup&vdsion and control of a Master Plumber. :We are o$Tthe~op$n$on~that:ltdoes not exelilpt them from the licensiiig'requlrement of.the Act.

..-

.. The underl'ined.language. fro&~Section 14 above must be construed in Cion$ekt vith'kherest of'the Section. Section 14 gives a period of grace of one hundred twenty says after-the effective date of the Act for plumbing without a license. Thereafter, two activities are prohibited: (1) any person% engaging in, working at; or conduct&g the,business ,ofplumbing'(asdefined inthe Act) wrthout'a license; and (2) any persoh's;firmfs or corporation's engaging in or working at the business of

### 478 Eon, C. E. B&lk, Page 4 (V+&)

. lnstalling'plumblng~anddOi@ plumbing &rk and using the&for un.lic.ensed.Ijlumbers 

### for the oontrol and saperv%slon'i%f sach-p>un@lng (88: defined Xn the Act). These,portionsof B&&ion 14 prohibit'anyvne from engaging IIJ

plumbingwXthout+ lloenseJ 

### or engaging in plumbi.ng through otherswho are snot1ioenaeU ~Nothlng.lnthis Seation graats an exemption to engage .- in plu&lng +thout a 'llc@p merely becatise such activity is undtr '+$KI supe+3~on a~nd

control of 5 licensed plumber.

. .

A'pe&on engagit$~'in'plunibing with@ the deflnltlon~.thereof as set'out.lnthe Plumbin& Lloense,~Law~ of 1947'1s not exempt from'the~lXolcdnsingz%q~tielqents of thatAot merely‘becausq su6h aotgvitywill be under the 

### supervtiSoti’~Iand ooxitrol~of

a'p+ber licetied undeti

y.Acti .;.':

.

:

.