HB 3673: Professions and occupations; term of license and registration certificates; renewal; prohibitions; reinstated licenses; application; continuing education requirements; effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised to shift from a specific focus on electricians to a broader scope covering all construction industry licenses. The Senate version simplifies the reinstatement process for expired licenses by removing the requirement to retest, instead requiring a flat $200 penalty fee and specific continuing education hours based on how long the license was expired. Additionally, a new exemption was added allowing licensees to skip continuing education requirements for three years after passing their licensing exam.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from exclusively regulating electrician licenses to applying to all journeyman and contractor licenses issued under the Electrical License Act.

SCOPE

The bill was changed from applying only to electrician licenses to applying to all construction industry licenses (journeymen and contractors).

REQUIREMENT

The reinstatement process for expired licenses was simplified; the requirement to retest was removed and replaced with a flat $200 penalty fee and specific continuing education hours.

Continuing education requirements for reinstatement were adjusted to be based on the duration of expiration, with fewer hours required if the license was expired for less than 36 months.

ELIGIBILITY

A new exemption was created that waives continuing education requirements for three years following the date a licensee passes their current licensing exam.

Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill → Floor (House) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was revised from a committee substitute version to the House floor version, primarily updating the title and summary to reflect specific changes for electrician licenses. The core policy regarding license renewal, reinstatement procedures, and continuing education requirements remains substantively unchanged, though the formatting and page headers were updated to indicate the floor version.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed in the description to specifically address electrical licenses (Unlimited Journeyman, Residential Journeyman, and various contractor licenses) rather than general professions and occupations, although the operative text governing these licenses remains the same.

TECHNICAL

The header was changed from 'Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill' to 'House of Representatives - Floor Version', indicating the bill has moved to the final floor vote stage.

Page footers and headers were updated to reflect the floor version (HB3673 HFLR) and removed references to the original 'Req. No.' and committee report dates.

SCOPE

The act's summary was updated to explicitly mention 'electrical licenses' and specific license types (Unlimited Journeyman Electrician, etc.) instead of the broader 'professions and occupations' language.

House Committee Substitute → Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to clarify that expired licenses cannot be renewed but must be reinstated, replacing the previous option to renew expired licenses. The text was updated to reflect that the bill applies to term limits and registration certificates rather than just electrical licenses, and it explicitly exempts certain licensees from continuing education requirements for three years after passing their exam.

Scope change

The scope was broadened from specific electrical licenses to include term of license and registration certificates, with a specific exclusion for renewing expired licenses.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed the ability to renew licenses that have expired for more than one year; they must now be reinstated instead.

REQUIREMENT

Changed the description of continuing education requirements to specify exemptions for three years after passing the licensing exam.

DEFINITION

Updated the bill title and description to refer to 'term of license and registration certificates' instead of just 'electrical licenses'.

TECHNICAL

Corrected formatting errors in the sponsor list and section headers to align with standard legislative markup.

Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 → House Committee Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to replace the original text with a new version that clarifies license expiration rules and reinstatement procedures for electricians. The changes ensure that licenses expire on the last day of the licensee's birth month and allow for renewal without re-examination after expiration under specific conditions, including a military service exemption. The amendment also updates the effective date of the act to November 1, 2026, and adds specific provisions for apprentice and student apprentice registration certificates.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on electrical licensing and renewal procedures, but the text was completely rewritten to improve clarity and add specific categories of applicants (apprentices and students) to the licensing framework.

REQUIREMENT

License expiration dates were changed to occur on the last day of the licensee's birth month, replacing the previous 'last day of the month' rule.

Specific provisions were added to address the registration and renewal requirements for apprentice and student apprentice certificates.

ELIGIBILITY

A new exemption was added allowing license renewal without penalty for individuals in military service who apply within one year of discharge.

TIMELINE

The effective date of the act was updated to November 1, 2026.

TECHNICAL

The entire text of the bill was replaced with a new Committee Substitute version, correcting formatting and citation errors from the previous draft.

Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to change its title from 'Proposed Oversight Committee Substitute' to 'Proposed Policy Committee Substitute,' indicating a shift in the committee's role from monitoring to shaping policy. The core legislative text was updated to reclassify the new section as 'New Law' rather than an amendment to existing law, and the bill was split into three sections to clearly separate the new provisions, the repeal of the old section, and the effective date.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on electrical licenses, but the structural presentation changed to explicitly create a new statute (Section 1688A) rather than amending the existing Section 1688 in place.

TECHNICAL

The bill header and title were updated to reflect a 'Policy Committee Substitute' instead of an 'Oversight Committee Substitute,' changing the procedural label of the document.

The legislative text was restructured: the original single section was replaced by a new Section 1 labeled 'New Law' to create Section 1688A, a new Section 2 to repeal the old Section 1688, and a new Section 3 for the effective date.

The bill's description was expanded to explicitly mention 'providing renewal and reinstatement procedures' and 'creating updated procedures for licensure renewal' in the act's summary.

Enrolled (final version) → Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to clarify that it applies only to specific electrical licenses (journeyman, contractor, and apprentice) rather than all professions. It introduces a new rule allowing these specific expired licenses to be renewed without retesting after more than one year of expiration, provided the applicant completes all missed continuing education plus an additional six hours per year of expiration and pays a reinstatement penalty.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed from a general act relating to all professions and occupations to specifically target electrical licenses under the Electrical License Act.

SCOPE

The bill title and subject matter were changed from a broad 'professions and occupations' act to a specific act regarding electrical licenses.

ELIGIBILITY

New eligibility criteria allow Unlimited Journeyman, Residential Journeyman, and various Electrical Contractor licenses to be renewed without reexamination if they have been expired for longer than one year.

REQUIREMENT

Applicants renewing an expired license must now complete all continuing education they missed during the expiration period, plus an additional six hours for every full year the license was expired.

A reinstatement penalty fee of up to $200 per full year of expiration must be paid, in addition to standard renewal fees and late fees.

The previous provision exempting licensees from continuing education for three years after passing their exam was removed.

ENFORCEMENT

The Construction Industries Board is now directed to promulgate rules within 180 days to implement the new reinstatement procedures and fee schedules.

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 5 edits · May 12, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was finalized to update the Oklahoma Electrical License Act, clarifying that licenses expire annually and outlining specific steps for reinstatement after expiration. The final version adds new categories for student apprentices, adjusts continuing education requirements based on how long a license has been expired, and removes a requirement for applicants to provide an affidavit proving they have no criminal convictions. These changes streamline the process for returning to work while ensuring public safety through targeted education mandates.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include specific provisions for 'student apprentice' registration certificates, which were not explicitly detailed in the previous version.

REQUIREMENT

Continuing education requirements for reinstatement were modified; the final version requires 12 hours of education for the first year of expiration, 24 hours for the second, and caps the requirement at 24 hours total regardless of how many years the license has been expired, whereas the draft version required up to 48 hours.

The reinstatement fee structure was simplified; the final version requires payment of the standard renewal fee plus a flat $200 penalty, removing the previous requirement to pay a separate penalty fee for every full year of expiration.

A requirement for license applicants to submit an affidavit or verification stating they have not been convicted of a crime with a direct bearing on their fitness was removed from the reinstatement process.

A new clause was added requiring licensees reinstated after more than one year of expiration to complete continuing education within 36 months of their last verified course, resetting the clock for future renewals.

SCOPE

New provisions were added to create a specific 'student apprentice' registration certificate valid for one school year, distinct from the standard one-year apprentice certificate.

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 3 edits · May 5, 2026

MINOR

The bill was amended to correct authorship credits and streamline the text of the electrical licensing act. The primary substantive change involves reorganizing the reinstatement procedures for expired licenses, clarifying the specific continuing education hour requirements based on how long a license has been expired, and adding a new requirement for applicants to submit an affidavit proving they have no disqualifying criminal history or disciplinary actions.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains focused on electrical licensing and renewal procedures, but the specific criteria for reinstating expired licenses have been clarified and expanded to include a criminal background verification step.

ELIGIBILITY

Reinstatement criteria for expired licenses were updated to require an affidavit confirming the applicant has not been subject to final disciplinary action or convicted of a crime affecting fitness to practice.

REQUIREMENT

Continuing education requirements for reinstatement were reorganized into a tiered system based on the number of consecutive years the license has been expired (1, 2, 3, or 4+ years).

TECHNICAL

Authorship credits were corrected to reflect the proper House coauthors and Senate principal author, and page formatting was adjusted to align with standard legislative markup.

Introduced → Amended And Engrossed · 7 edits · May 5, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was amended to update its title and scope to include broader licensing categories beyond just electricians, such as contractors and apprentices. The amendment clarifies that expired licenses cannot be renewed but can be reinstated under specific conditions, including completing continuing education or passing a retest. It also introduces exemptions from continuing education requirements for certain licensees and updates the effective date to November 1, 2026.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded from exclusively covering unlimited and residential journeyman electrician licenses to include all journeyman and contractor licenses, as well as apprentice and student apprentice registration certificates.

SCOPE

The bill's title and scope were updated to cover term of license and registration certificates for various professions, not just electrical licenses.

ELIGIBILITY

Renewal without reexamination is now restricted; expired licenses must be reinstated rather than renewed, requiring compliance with specific application and fee requirements.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements were added for reinstated license holders to complete continuing education within 36 months of reinstatement for future renewals.

Specific continuing education hour requirements were defined for licensees whose licenses have been expired for more than 36 months.

EXEMPTIONS

An exemption from continuing education requirements was added for licensees who passed their current licensing exam within the last three years.

TIMELINE

The effective date of the act was set to November 1, 2026.

TECHNICAL

Authorship details were updated, removing the principal Senate author Burns and substituting Daniels, while adding coauthors Archer and Dollens.

Professions and occupations; term of license and registration certificates; renewal; prohibitions; reinstated licenses; application; continuing education requirements; effective date.

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