PHCCWA Achievements 2003

Legislation
The PHCCWA has been very active in the legislative process for several years. We started becoming more active when Art Favinger, long time PHCC member and past president, became a member of the Governors Plumber Advisory Board.

The PHCCWA was looking at the time of introducing a master plumbers license bill, but the complete concept never gelled. This was an idea that would have paralleled the electrician’s administrator license law. It was felt there would probably be quite a bit of industry opposition.

The next item of legislation the PHCCWA was involved in was the medical gas law. This was a bill that passed requiring anyone working on the gases used in medical applications, be a journeyman plumber and have an additional endorsement. The PHCCWA had several members on the committee, which helped create the rules.

The PHCCWA was also very involved in the backflow tester legislation, which passed in 2001. Initially the PHCCWA was opposed to any law that would allow a non-licensed plumber to repair any item connected to the potable water, such as a backflow device. After the law had passed, again the PHCCWA had members on the rules committee to ensure that the law be interpreted correctly.

The 2003 session had 2 bills of high interest to the PHCCWA. The first being the plumber/electrician bill. After an Attorney General opinion (AGO), it was determined that only electricians could disconnect the wire nuts to any electrical appliance. This ruling had made it impossible for plumbers to change water heaters, disposals, circulating pumps, etc. The PHCCWA, in an effort with the UA, was very successful with negotiating with the electricians union and Governors electrical advisory board, to come up with a bill that exempted plumbers from electrical law. This bill also added the requirement of 16 hours of continuing education, of which 4 hours will be of electrical.

The second bill, which the PHCCWA was very involved in, was the one concerning the Uniform Plumbing Code. For several years, almost 10, the SBCC has been trying to get the International codes approved for the state of Washington. The PHCCWA has been opposing the change the whole time. Finally the Legislation decided to pass the bill that would adopt the IBC, IFC, IMC, and the IBC. The PHCCWA was able to keep the UPC intact, but will probably not be enforced in favor of the IPC.

In 2000, the PHCCWA has included another benefit for our members, which was the membership to the IBA, Independent Business Association. With the inclusion in this association, the members gained a lobbyist to help with our battles in Olympia.

Education
The PHCCWA has been involved in education for 15 years. The PHCCWA was one of the developing associations in CITC, Construction Industry Training Council. The PHCCWA has been very active in CITC and retains 2 seats on the Board. The PHCCWA was very instrumental in putting together training classes in Tacoma 1999.

The PHCCWA also is involved in the education at the High School level. Every year, contractor members have a table at the career nights promoting the plumbing industry.

The PHCCWA was very instrumental in getting the continuing education into law, which requires 16 hours of approved classes per renewal cycle of the plumber license.

Plumbers Advisory Board
The PHCCWA has been active in the advisory board with a member for the past six years and the president for the past two years. This has been very monumental as in the past; contractor members have always come from the MCA.