Plumbing Regulation Reauthorized In Texas

Two and a half years of uncertainty are finally over for the licensed plumbers of Texas!

Just 5 days before the Governor’s previous executive order maintaining plumbing regulation expired, House Bill 636 became law with immediate effect (12 days after signature by the House and Senate affirming overwhelming approval) when Governor Abbott signed it into law.  The TSBPE now has 6 years to make significant progress before undergoing another Sunset Review in 2027, bringing a welcome reprieve for most licensed Texas plumbers while maintaining a sense of urgency for the Board to capitalize on this new opportunity.

Expiration of Winter Storm & COVID Waivers

WINTER STORM:  When Winter Storm Uri paralyzed the entire state, Governor Abbott directed the TSBPE to mobilize hundreds of additional plumbers to help wherever needed.  The resulting waivers & exemptions allowed apprentices to do more work unsupervised, allowed licenses expired over two years to be reinstated without reexamination, and permanently waived Continuing Professional Education requirements for licenses expiring in February, March, or April.  However, the temporary emergency allowances have now expired effective July 11, 2021.

COVID:  At the outset of the pandemic in March 2020, the TSBPE took aggressive measures to temporarily suspend the yearly Continuing Education course required by Texas State law. As part of that program, many licensed plumbers were granted a Disaster Relief CE extension. Now the TSBPE designated July 31, 2021 as the cutoff for fulfilling the 2020 or 2021 CE requirement in order to renew a Texas plumbing license.

TX Plumbing Rule Changes Now Available For Comment

As described in our last newsletter, the TSBPE is aggressively reviewing their rules with the initial focus on those involving examinations and education.  The rule updates being considered would represent the greatest changes in over 50 years, many representing the requirements of the updated Plumbing License Law.
The first wave of proposed changes (focused on required training) will end their public comment period and could be voted on by the TSBPE during their September 22nd meeting.  These immediate topics include the following (linked to the Texas Register):
      CPE & Training Exemptions
      Instructor Qualification
      Training Providers
      Curriculum Standards
      CPE Course Year Changes
      License Renewal Changes

Online Self-Paced Exam Prep Now Available

The whole world is changing...and so should training.  COVID, non-traditional schedules, high plumbing demand, and the explosion of technologies are pushing more of life into the digital realm, which also means educational opportunities are no longer limited to live, physical, scheduled courses.  Without abandoning the unique benefits of live interactions, we continue our years-long move toward supplementing our schedule with online options.

For plumbers preparing to take the Tradesman or Journeyman plumbing exams, we now offer an optional fully online, self-paced version of our exam prep course to supplement the required courses.  No need to miss work or lose a weekend while participants may choose the areas where they need more development and review them as many times as necessary.

2021-2022 CPE Cycle Underway

The new Continuing Professional Education cycle is for licenses expiring from September 2021 through August 2022.  As the current TSBPE rules require, we began teaching the new material in July (so even September renewals have a 3 month window to complete their CPE).

We are busy serving our private clients with groups over 15 and our public options are ramping up in both live physical locations and online live webinars.  Over the past year, hundreds of clients also tried our correspondence course, which may be downloaded and completed even before the mailed book arrives, and many swore they would never go back.  Please select your preferred option.  We appreciate every opportunity to serve you.

Industry News

We know plumbing leaders are busier than ever right now.  While there is a lot going on in our industry and the world, it's challenging to keep up with the news that is unique to our concerns.  That's why we started providing links for 6 to 10 industry articles each month from the sources we review, so you can get a quick overview and dig into the ones of interest.  Here is the 2nd quarter list:

• Accountability For Your Plumbing Fleet, Contractor, June 2021
  
• PPP Loan Forgiveness Deadline Approaching, Business Journals, June 2021
  
• Best Paying Cities for Plumbers, Construction Coverage, June 2021
  
• Plumbing Myths That Persist Among Customers, Plumber May, June 2021
  
• Medical Workers Protest Vaccine Mandate, The Texan, June 2021
  
• Managing An Online Image That Appeals to Customers, Plumber Mag, June 2021
  
• SBA May Be Dropping PPP Loan Necessity Questionnaire, JoA, June 2021
  
• 9 Ways To Help Your Plumbing Business Stand Out, PM Magazine, May 2021
  
• Why Plumbers Are Mightiest Residential Tradespeople, Wall Street Journal, May 2021
  
• 3 Questions to Ask When An Employee Makes a Mistake, Plumber Mag, May 2021
  
• 7 Basic Hurdles of Business, PHCP Pros, April 2021
  
• 4 Tips For Hiring In A Labor Shortage, Business Journals, April 2021
  
• Prevailing Wage Violations Land Owner In Prison, JDSupra, April 2021
  
• Know When To Hold ‘Em (Home Service Sales), Contractor, April 2021
  
• Win the Plumbing Game in 2021, Contractor, April 2021
  
• 50 Years of Workplace Safety and Health, OSHA, April 2021
  
• Backflow Prevention: Why Every Plumber Should Get Certified, Contractor, April 2021
  
• Plumbers’ Board Extension Approved by Texas House, The Texan, April 2021
  
• Recent OSHA Citations: Our Latest Roundup, EHS, April 2021
  
• 6 Plans Every Plumber Should Make, PM Magazine, April 2021
  
• Plumbers from Far and Wide Help Texas, PHCP Pros, April 2021
  
• Construction Adds 110,000 Jobs in March, Contractor, April 2021
  
• Administration Proposes 100% Replacement Of Lead Drinking Water Infrastructure, Water Online, April 2021
  
• Connected Products Saturate Plumbing Market, PM Magazine, April 2021