The Assembly Business and Professions Committee unanimously advanced AB 1707 on Aug. 30, sending the bill to the next stage after Senate amendments were concurred in.
The measure, authored by Assemblymember Davies, would move electrician certification authority from the Division of Labor Standards Enforcement to the Contractors State License Board starting July 1, 2028, according to the committee summary. Supporters said the shift would streamline licensing and enforcement, improve administration and help address labor shortages in the electrical trade.
During testimony, labor representatives criticized the Department of Industrial Relations for what the committee summary described as an eight-month backlog in processing electrician renewals. They said the delays can leave workers unable to work while waiting for certification, and argued CSLB is better equipped to handle the licensing function.
No opposition testimony was recorded at the hearing, and the committee advanced the bill on a unanimous roll-call vote.
