Senate Bill 25-165

BY SENATOR(S) Pelton B. and Daugherty, Carson, Marchman;

also REPRESENTATIVE(S) Lindstedt and Woog, Boesenecker, Gonzalez R., Titone.

Concerning electrical work regulated in the state.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Colorado:

SECTION 1.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 12-115-103, amend (2.5) and (3); and add (7.5), (7.7), (9.3), and (9.5) as follows:

12-115-103.  Definitions. As used in this article 115, unless the context otherwise requires:

(2.5)  "Direct supervision" means that the supervising licensed master electrician, journeyman electrician, or residential wireman, or photovoltaic installer is physically present at the same physical address where the apprentice is working.

(3)  "Electric light, heat, and power" means the standard types of electricity that are supplied by an electric utility, regardless of whether the source is an electric utility or the inverter output circuit of a photovoltaic system, direct-current lighting system, or a similar circuit from another type of renewable energy system or electric vehicle charging infrastructure, and used and consumed in a real estate improvement or real estate fixtureregulated in accordance with the national electrical code, excluding chapter 8, "communications systems".

(7.5)  "NABCEP" means the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners.

(7.7)  "NABCEP PV installation professional" means an individual who is certified by the NABCEP to install photovoltaic systems.

(9.3)  "Photovoltaic installer" has the meaning set forth in section 40-2-128 (2)(a.5).

(9.5)  "PV installation training" means training concerning photovoltaic systems installation practices described in the "PV Installation Professional Job Task Analysis" document published by the NABCEP.

SECTION 2.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 12-115-110, amend (2)(a), (2)(b) introductory portion, (2)(b)(II), (3)(a), (3)(b) introductory portion, and (3)(b)(II); and add (6) and (7) as follows:

12-115-110.  License requirements - rules - continuing education - photovoltaic installer registration - repeal. (2)  Journeyman electrician. (a)  An applicant for a journeyman electrician's license shall furnish written evidence that the applicant has had the following:

(I)  Eight thousand hours over a period of at least four years' apprenticeship in the electrical trade or eight thousand hours over a period of at least four years' practical experience in wiring for, installing, and repairing electrical apparatus and equipment for electric light, heat, and power;

(II)  Two thousand hours over a period of at least two of the applicant's years'years of the applicant's experience required by subsection (2)(a)(I) of this section has been in commercial, industrial, or substantially similar work; and

(III)  Effective January 1, 2011, During the last foureight years of the applicant's training, apprenticeship, or practical experience in wiring for, installing, and repairing electrical apparatus and equipment for electric light, heat, and power, completion of at least two hundred eighty-eight hours of training in safety, the national electrical code and its applications, and any other training required by the board that is provided by an accredited college or university, an established industry training program, or any other provider whose training is conducted in compliance with rules promulgatedadopted by the board, in collaboration with established industry training programs and industry representatives. The board may grant an applicant credit toward the training requirement in this subsection (2)(a)(III) for training that occurred before the last eight years of the applicant's training, apprenticeship, or practical experience if the applicant provides proof of completion of no less than four hours of additional training on the current or immediately previous edition of the national electrical code or the standards adopted by the board pursuant subsection 12-115-107 (2)(a).

(b)  An applicant shall be permitted tomay substitute for required practical experience evidence of academic training or practical experience in the electrical field, which shall beis credited as follows:

(II)  If the applicant has academic training, including military training or PV installation training, that does not qualify under subsection (2)(b)(I) of this section, the board shallmay provide work experience credit for the training or for substantially similar training established by rule.

(3)  Residential wireman. (a)  An applicant for a residential wireman's license shall furnish written evidence that the applicant has at least two years of accredited training or four thousand hours over a period of at least two years of practical experience in wiring one-, two-, three-, and four-family dwellings.

(b)  An applicant shall be permitted tomay substitute for required practical experience evidence of academic training in the electrical field, which shall beis credited as follows:

(II)  If the applicant has academic training, including military training or PV installation training, that is not sufficient to qualify under subsection (3)(b)(I) of this section, the board shallmay provide work experience credit for the training according to a uniform ratio established by rule.

(6) (a)  For the purposes of subsections (2)(a)(I) and (3)(a) of this section, in addition to other means of earning practical experience, an applicant earns practical experience by working:

(I)  Two thousand hours as a NABCEP PV installation professional working for or working as a photovoltaic installer;

(II)  Up to two thousand hours of practical experience working under the supervision of a NABCEP PV installation professional working for or working as a photovoltaic installer, so long as the supervising NABCEP PV installation professional provides proof of the applicant's employment and an affidavit attesting that the applicant earned the hours working under the supervision of a NABCEP PV installation professional; or

(III)  Up to four thousand hours as a NABCEP PV installation professional working for or working as a photovoltaic installer if the applicant submits additional documentation to the board, including payroll records, work orders, project descriptions, or other relevant materials that document significant solar industry work that qualifies as electrical hours. The board shall review the documentation and determine how many hours of practical experience the applicant earns beyond the two thousand hours permitted by subsection (6)(a)(I) of this section.

(b)  For every two hours that an applicant works as described in subsection (6)(a)(II) or (6)(a)(III) of this section, the applicant earns one hour for the purposes of subsection (2)(a)(I) or (3)(a) of this section.

(7) (a)  A contractor that is operating as of September 1, 2025, and that performs work as a photovoltaic installer pursuant to section 40-2-128 with at least one NABCEP-certified employee shall register as a photovoltaic installer with the board on or before December 31, 2026; except that a contractor may register with the board during a sixty-day grace period in accordance with section 12-20-202 (1)(e).

(b)  A contractor registering as a photovoltaic installer pursuant to this subsection (7) shall designate an agent or agents for the purpose of registration with the board.

(c)  If none of the agents designated pursuant to subsection (7)(b) of this section are affiliated with the contractor:

(I)  The contractor's registration as a photovoltaic installer with the board is invalid; and

(II)  The contractor's registration is ineligible for reinstatement.

SECTION 3.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, amend 12-115-111 as follows:

12-115-111.  Credit for experience not subject to supervision of a licensed electrician. For all applicants seeking work experience credit toward licensure, the board shallmay give credit for electrical work that is not required to be performed by or under the supervision of a licensed electrician if the applicant can show that the particular experience received or the supervision under which the work has been performed is adequate.

SECTION 4.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 40-2-128, amend (1)(a)(I)(A) and (2)(a)(I); and add (2)(a.5) and (3) as follows:

40-2-128.  Solar photovoltaic installations - supervision - qualifications of electrical contractors - definitions. (1)  For all photovoltaic installations allowed under section 40-2-124 with a direct current design capacity of less than three hundred kilowatts:

(a) (I) (A)  The performance of all photovoltaic electrical work, the installation of photovoltaic modules, and the installation of photovoltaic module mounting equipment is subject to on-site supervision by a certified photovoltaic energy practitioner, as designated by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners (NABCEP) and that is working for a photovoltaic installer, or a licensed master electrician, licensed journeyman electrician, or licensed residential wireman, as those terms are defined in section 12-115-103.

(2)  As used in this section, unless the context otherwise requires:

(a) (I)  "Photovoltaic electrical work" means wiring, grounding, or repairing electrical apparatus and equipment in a photovoltaic distributed generation systemmeans electrical work performed on a photovoltaic system that is covered electrical work in accordance with the national electrical code, including articles 90.2 (1), 90.2 (3), 100, and 690 of the national electrical code.

(a.5)  "Photovoltaic installer" means a contractor that:

(I)  Is not a registered electrical contractor, as defined in section 12-115-103 (4);

(II)  Is registered with the state electrical board as a photovoltaic installer pursuant to section 12-115-110 (7) no later than December 31, 2026;

(III)  Is a business in good standing with the state and registered with the secretary of state;

(IV)  Is performing photovoltaic electrical work as of September 1, 2025; and

(V)  Employs a NABCEP PV installation professional, as defined in section 12-115-103 (7.7).

(3)  This section does not affect the state electrical board's regulation of photovoltaic electrical work performed on photovoltaic installations with a current design capacity of at least three hundred kilowatts pursuant to section 12-115-107 (2)(f).

SECTION 5.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 12-115-107, amend (2)(f); and add (2)(f.5) as follows:

12-115-107.  Board powers and duties - rules - definitions. (2)  In addition to all other powers and duties conferred or imposed upon the board by this article 115, the board is authorized to:

(f) (I)  Regulate a licensed master electrician, journeyman electrician, or residential wireman, or photovoltaic installer who, acting within his or hertheir scope of competence, supervises a solar photovoltaic installation pursuant to section 40-2-128.

(II)  On and after January 1, 2020, All photovoltaic electrical work for installations of at least three hundred kilowatts, including the interconnection of the modules, grounding of the modules, any balance of system wiring, and the customer-side point of connection to the utility grid, must:

(A)  Be performed by a licensed master electrician, a licensed journeyman electrician, a licensed residential wireman, or properly supervised electrical apprentices; and must

(B)  Comply with all applicable requirements of this article 115, including sections 12-115-109 and 12-115-115, and all applicable rules of the board.

(III)  Only an electrical contractor or a photovoltaic installer may perform or offer to perform photovoltaic electrical work for installations of less than three hundred kilowatts.

(f.5)  Regulate photovoltaic electrical work for installations of less than three hundred kilowatts performed in accordance with section 40-2-128;

SECTION 6.  In Colorado Revised Statutes, 12-115-117, amend (1)(l); and add (1)(m) as follows:

12-115-117.  Fees. (1)  As established pursuant to section 12-20-105, fees shall be charged by the board for the following:

(l)  Apprentice registration; and

(m)  Photovoltaic installer registration.

SECTION 7.  Act subject to petition - effective date. This act takes effect at 12:01 a.m. on the day following the expiration of the ninety-day period after final adjournment of the general assembly; except that, if a referendum petition is filed pursuant to section 1 (3) of article V of the state constitution against this act or an item, section, or part of this act within such period, then the act, item, section, or part will not take effect unless approved by the people at the general election to be held in November 2026 and, in such case, will take effect on the date of the official declaration of the vote thereon by the governor.