Relating to eligibility for a master plumber license.
ModeratePlan for compliance
Low Cost
Effective:2025-06-20
Enforcing Agencies
Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners
01
Compliance Analysis
Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation
Implementation Timeline
Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Effective immediately due to supermajority vote).
Compliance Deadline: Immediate. Applications submitted on or after June 20, 2025, must be processed under the new 2-year standard.
Agency Rulemaking: The Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners (TSBPE) is required to adopt rules "as soon as practicable." Warning: A regulatory gray zone currently exists where statutory law permits the 2-year standard, but agency application forms and online portals likely still state the 4-year requirement.
Immediate Action Plan
Audit Personnel Files: Generate a report of all Journeyman Plumbers with 2+ years of experience; these are your immediate candidates for Master licensure.
Preempt Administrative Rejection: If submitting an application before TSBPE forms are updated, include a cover letter explicitly citing "HB3214, 89th Leg., R.S." to prevent intake staff from rejecting the application based on outdated checklists.
Update QC Protocols: A Master Plumber with 2 years of experience has 50% less field tenure than previously required. Strengthen internal Quality Control (QC) checks to compensate for this reduction in mandatory experience.
Resubmit Rejected Applications: If you had an applicant rejected prior to June 20, 2025, for lack of experience (e.g., they had 3 years), resubmit the application immediately.
Operational Changes Required
Contracts
Subcontractor MSAs: Review Master Service Agreements immediately. If your standard contracts define a "qualified Master Plumber" as having 4+ or 5+ years of experience, you will inadvertently disqualify validly licensed subcontractors under the new law. Update definitions to align with statutory minimums unless you specifically intend to enforce a higher standard than the state.
Employment Agreements: Audit training repayment and non-compete agreements. Employees you anticipated retaining for four years as Journeymen are now eligible to leave and compete as Masters after two years. Ensure clawback provisions for apprenticeship costs are enforceable against this accelerated timeline.
Hiring/Training
Retention Risk: Identify all Journeymen on your payroll with 24 to 48 months of experience. They are now immediately eligible for Master licensure and represent a flight risk. Adjust compensation or offer clear pathways to Responsible Master Plumber (RMP) roles to retain them.
Supervision Ratios: You may now promote internal staff to Master status faster, allowing for an increase in the number of simultaneous job sites under your license umbrella.
Reporting & Record-Keeping
Experience Verification: When signing Employer Certification Forms for applicants, you are now certifying two years of experience for the standard track.
Training Documentation: For applicants utilizing the new "1-year + training" eligibility track, you must obtain and file certified transcripts from a US Department of Labor Office of Apprenticeship program or a Board-accepted equivalent before signing their application.
Fees & Costs
Insurance Premiums: Consult your carrier regarding Professional Liability policies. Promoting a Master Plumber with only two years of Journeyman experience to a Responsible Master Plumber (RMP) position may trigger premium adjustments or coverage exclusions based on experience thresholds.
No State Fee Changes: The bill does not alter licensure fees, only eligibility criteria.
Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations
"Accepted by the Board" Training Programs:
Section 1(B)(ii) allows licensure after one year if the applicant completes a training program "accepted by the board." While US DOL programs are explicitly approved, the TSBPE has not yet published a definitive list of *other* accepted private training programs.
Risk: Applicants relying on non-DOL third-party certifications risk rejection until the Board issues formal guidance.
Guidance: Until rulemaking is finalized, rely on the 2-year experience track or the US DOL Office of Apprenticeship track to ensure application acceptance.
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Information presented is for general knowledge only and is provided without warranty, express or implied. Consult qualified government affairs professionals and legal counsel before making compliance decisions.
The bill author has informed the committee that the current plumbing workforce in Texas, due to an expanding population and an increasing number of natural disasters that require plumbed infrastructure, is not meeting the demand for essential plumbing services. Currently, it can take seven to eight years to become a responsible master plumber, a role with responsibility for supervising journeyman plumbers on house calls, creating plumbing schematics, planning water systems, and working with code and permit office officials. The bill author has further informed the committee that as many of the most skilled master plumbers reach the age of retirement, the divide between available jobs and a workforce sufficient to supply labor will only grow. C.S.H.B. 3214 seeks to address this issue and grow that workforce to fill the labor gap by reducing from four to two the minimum number of years for which an eligible person must have worked as a journeyman plumber before qualifying to apply for a master plumber license.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners in SECTION 2 of this bill.
ANALYSIS
C.S.H.B. 3214 amends the Occupations Code to decrease from four to two the minimum number of years for which an otherwise eligible person must have worked as a journeyman plumber to be licensed as a master plumber. The bill requires the Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners, as soon as practicable after the bill's effective date, to adopt rules as necessary to implement the bill's provisions. The bill applies only to an application for a master plumber license submitted on or after the bill's effective date. An application submitted before that date is governed by the law in effect on the date the application was submitted, and the former law is continued in effect for those purposes.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2025.
COMPARISON OF INTRODUCED AND SUBSTITUTE
C.S.H.B. 3214 differs from the introduced only by including a Texas Legislative Council draft number in the footer.
HB3214 immediately reduces the mandatory experience required for a Journeyman Plumber to sit for the Master Plumber exam from four years to two years (or one year with specific training). This deregulation significantly expands the pool of eligible Master Plumbers but requires plumbing contractors and facility managers to immediately adjust retention strategies, liability insurance reviews, and subcontractor qualification standards. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: June 20, 2025 (Effective immediately due to supermajority vote).
Q
Who authored HB3214?
HB3214 was authored by Texas Representative Keresa Richardson during the Regular Session.
Q
When was HB3214 signed into law?
HB3214 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.
Q
Which agencies enforce HB3214?
HB3214 is enforced by Texas State Board of Plumbing Examiners.
Q
How urgent is compliance with HB3214?
The compliance urgency for HB3214 is rated as "moderate". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.
Q
What is the cost impact of HB3214?
The cost impact of HB3214 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.
Q
What topics does HB3214 address?
HB3214 addresses topics including occupational regulation, occupational regulation--other trades & professions, plumbers & plumbing and plumbing examiners, texas state board of.
Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025
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