HB 3029 Signed by the Governor!
Exciting times for the Texas Air Conditioning Contractors Association as HB 3029, TACCA's effort to modify the existing ACR technician certification, was
signed by Governor Abbott on
Thursday, June 15, 2017.
- BECOMING A CERTIFIED TECHNICIAN IS CURRENTLY, AND WILL BE VOLUNTARY UNDER THIS
BILL.
HB 3029 amends the definition and standards for achieving "certified technician" status to align the HVAC/R statute with SB 22, the P-TECH schools model, and with Texas' "60x30TX" plan: By 2030, at least 60 percent of Texans ages 25-34 will have a certificate or degree. The amended technician certificate will indicate that those students who complete the HVAC training program in a high school, an apprenticeship, community college, technical institute, or military training, have identifiable, marketable skills.
Those students who receive the technician certificate pursuant to a P-TECH or high school CTE program will have zero student debt as they begin their careers. Students graduating from a P-TECH HVAC program will also have completed HVAC internships while in school.
An approved training program will consist of at least 2,000 clock hours of a combination of instruction and practical experience in air conditioning and refrigeration-related work under the supervision of an instructor who is a certified teacher or a licensed air conditioning and refrigeration contractor. 2,000 hours of on-the-job training alone, working for a licensed HVAC contractor, will satisfy the criteria
for an approved training program.
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