An Act To Encourage Enrollment in High School Electrical Education Programs
Maine Legislature, Session 125, LD 1833
Committee: Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: CUSHING, RECTOR, NUTTING, PRESCOTT, RICHARDSON, GERZOFSKY, MASON, PLOWMAN, THIBODEAU
Amends: 32 MRSA §1101

Legislative Document 
No. 1833 
H.P. 1353 
House of Representatives, February 27, 2012 
An Act To Encourage Enrollment in High School Electrical 
Education Programs 
(AFTER DEADLINE) 
Approved for introduction by a majority of the Legislative Council pursuant to Joint Rule 
205. 
Reference to the Committee on Labor, Commerce, Research and Economic Development 
suggested and ordered printed. 
HEATHER J.R. PRIEST 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative CUSHING of Hampden. 
Cosponsored by Senator RECTOR of Knox and 
Representatives: Speaker NUTTING of Oakland, PRESCOTT of Topsham, RICHARDSON of 
Carmel, Senators: GERZOFSKY of Cumberland, MASON of Androscoggin, PLOWMAN of 
Penobscot, THIBODEAU of Waldo. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  32 MRSA §1101, sub-§4-A, as amended by PL 2011, c. 286, Pt. F, §4, is 
further amended to read: 
4-A.  Supervision.  One apprentice electrician or one helper electrician may work 
with and under the direct supervision of each a master electrician, or limited electrician or 
journeyman electrician.  One apprentice electrician or 2 helper electricians may work 
with and under the direct supervision of a journeyman electrician.  A master electrician 
who teaches an electrical course at a Maine career and technical education center, a 
Maine career and technical education region, a Maine community college or an 
apprenticeship program registered by the Department of Labor may have a maximum of 
helper or apprentice electricians under direct supervision while making electrical 
installations that are a part of the instructional program of the school or apprenticeship 
program, as long as the total value of each installation does not exceed $5,000. An 
electrical installation may not be commenced pursuant to this subsection without the prior 
approval of the director or president of the school or apprenticeship program at which the 
master electrician is an instructor. These installations are limited to those done in 
buildings or facilities owned or controlled by: 
A.  School administrative units; and 
B.  Nonprofit organizations. 
The Electricians' Examining Board and the municipal electrical inspector of the 
municipality in which the installation is to be made, if the municipality has an inspector, 
must be notified of all installation projects entered into pursuant to this subsection prior to 
the commencement of the project. There must be an inspection by a state electrical 
inspector or by the municipal electrical inspector of the municipality in which the 
installation has been made, if the municipality has an inspector, before any wiring on the 
project is concealed. 
Sec. 2.  Rules.  The Director of the Office of Professional and Occupational 
Regulation within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation shall amend 
its rules pertaining to the establishment of fees for helper electrician licenses to exempt a 
high school student from paying the fee to obtain a helper electrician license. 
SUMMARY 
This bill amends the electrician licensing laws by changing the number of helper 
electricians that may work with and be supervised by a journeyman electrician from one 
to 2.  The bill also requires the Director of the Office of Professional and Occupational 
Regulation within the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation to amend its 
rules to exempt a high school student from paying the fee for a license to be a helper 
electrician.