Contractors urge Kansas to consider statewide electrician licensing for easier multistate work

Jim Smelsley, director of manufacturing at Northwind Technical Services, and Mike Gibson of the Associated General Contractors described how local licensing of electricians across Kansas creates administrative burdens for employers who operate statewide. Smelsley said Kansas does not issue a statewide journeyman/master electrician license in many cases; instead, cities require separate local licenses. "If I work in Topeka and I want to go work in Lawrence, I have to get a license in Lawrence," Smelsley told the committee. He recommended creating a statewide electrical licensing system and negotiating reciprocity with neighboring states so Kansas employers can deploy workers more quickly.

Gibson said that varying municipal licensing and continuing-education requirements raise overhead costs and slow project delivery in a sector already facing worker shortages. He described hybrid licensing models used in Oklahoma and Texas that combine statewide credentialing with local enforcement and urged the committee to study options.

Representatives from the industry explained the typical training pathways (CTE programs, community colleges, apprenticeships) and noted that local fees are small per municipality but can add up when a worker needs multiple local permits. Committee members suggested exploring a hybrid state/local model and asked whether an existing board could administer statewide electrician licensure.

Ending: Contractors asked the legislature to evaluate options for a statewide licensing framework and possible reciprocity with other states; the committee requested more information and referral to agencies and interested stakeholders for follow-up research.