During Monday’s Joint Government Organization Committee meeting, there was some concern regarding the draft legislation that would initiate moving the contractors licensing board into Chapter 30.
This legislation would move contractors into their own separate board, separating contractors from the Division of Labor for inspection purposes.
The purpose of this legislation is to prevent multiple inspectors on each job site. Additionally, the bill would cut the cost of licensing for contractors. There was no figure to show the difference in licensing price with the proposed legislation.
Delegate Mike Caputo, D-Marion, questioned the purpose of the bill. He was concerned that by taking away inspectors from the Division of Labor and creating a new entity, qualified people would lose their jobs. As of now, there are only 17 inspectors working for the DOL.
Another cause of concern was the fact that the DOL Commissioner Mitchell E. Woodrum was not included in the drafting of the bill. Caputo believes that his expertise is vital in the success of this bill.
Several delegates voted down the bill, but it wasn’t enough for it to fail. Despite the concerns expressed, this legislation was adopted to be introduced for the 2020 session with no new amendments.
The Interim Government Organization Committee approved six other draft bills to be introduced in the 2020 legislative session.
