Untitled Texas Attorney General Opinion ( 1948 )

Hoii.C. E. :Belk.,,~gdminlptrator,' " ?; ;.';" Board of-Plysbing +aminers~., :' .' ; ..'~ 904.Lava* '. Austin, Texas, "' .I, opinlon.~oo.:~-6gl..I 1...lie:. Wh+&~perspqs ‘may eni 'i:, 1;.:. ..,~:,, gage ln ;p!u$blns without . *"Statefplumbing license :. :. by vl.utueof their work :;' .". ..,. being supervised'by a .i ,:. ,.,~..,; :.;:;..., __; ;._: State l~censed'mster : !' : _ '._..i .'," ?'.. .?P!y?;'. '? : .:: ,.: Dear Mr. Be?& '.%ie quote fe$'+& request,'dated August 27, as follows'::. :..' ,; ..,, -;:i."a,gene~al.builaing'contractorholds'a State M+ster Pl@b&~s~l~cen%- -He is doing plumbing work:on thebugldlsgs 'which he"has 'Y. under contract and using ur&censed plumbers to do this work. It Is his contention that Section,l4~of the l+wlallows hti to do this. 1.i.. ... z. ...vill ~ou'plesse advise us:~whetherthis .or any other Section'of theAct; exempts suci persons from the Jlcenslng requlregnentsof the Plumbing License Law of 19471" ', &&2tion 2 of the Plumbing License Law of 1947, we find the':deflhitionof the actlvvityof'~"plumblng", which Is regulated by the licensing statute, and we set out that def5udtloq asfqllows: ..~ "The,word~or term.~plumbWg* as used In this Act meansand shall lnc$ude: (1) All .pip@g, f*tures,'~app+%euauces a* appllauces for;a supply of Watersor gas; or both; for all pe%sonal or domestic purposes in and about bulld- ings where a person or persons live, work or 476 Hon. C. E. Belk, Page 2, (V-691) ..1~ .,,,. :' ass6mble; all'piplng, fixtures, appurte- : ,'.' nances and appliances outside a building connecting the building with the source of water or gas supply, or both, on the prem- s'.J lses, or th45main in the street, alley or. :.._, at the curb; all piping, flxtures~ appur- tenances, appliances.,drain or waste pipes carrying waste water or sewage from or,with-~ in a building to the sewer service lateral at the curb or In the &reet or,alley or other disposal terminal holding private 'or domestic sewage; (2) the installation, rg' pair and maintenance of all piping, flx- turis, appurtenances and appliances In and about buildings where a person or persons. live, work or ass~enible,for a supply of gas, water, or both, ~6r disposal of waste water : or sewage." We also.&.out the definitions of @Master. Plumbers" an&"Jouriieymen Plumbers" from Section 2 of the Act, as follows: "(b) Ii Waster Pluniber'within ihe ." .~. niearkg of this Act Itia plumber havipg' :' ._ a regular place of business, who, by him- self, or through a person or persons in his employ, performsLplusiblugwork, and who has successfully fu~filled~~the.e+!inatlonsand. requirements of thy Board.~ "(c) A ~Journeyman'Plujniber~ within the meatiingof this Act is any person other. than a mskter plumber who engages in or works at the actual installation, ,alteratlon,rek pap and renovatlng.of plumbing; ati who has successfully falfilled the examinations aod~. requirements of .the;Board."': " Section 3 .of the Act provides the'express ex- emptlons &lowed under the Act. .We.,findti exemption which ~a&ll~s tomyour pa&Multi situationi Section 14 of the Act provldes'as folloW& "After w expiration of one hundred twe&y days from the effective date of MS Act,,no person, whether as a master pleer, ;. . . Hon. C. E. Belk, Page ~3 .(V.&Il) .:R.:.~ :;,..~ ,;; -: _,:.,.: 47+7 :: forany personsto engage.in, work“at, or conduct the business:of:plumblng ln~this state or serve as ~a'plunibinginspector as plumb&ng~work..except,as speclflcallg herein provided unless such,lnstallation of plumb- iog:ror.plambin~.~work~.be.~under the supervi- slon and control of a plumber licensed under .,thisAct: land d,t,.is,expresslyprovided that ~~;~o.vislbns';'of.,Artlclel22.of the Penal Cod&of: aexas~.'?ha;ll,~.apply,..to violations of . this Actiizapd-said Article I.22of the Penal. .Code 'and the p&alties therein provlded'are hereby expressly referred to..'! :.'." ,::.~~Spctcifical~y,~~.you ask tihetherthe underlined portionof. Sectlou 14 set o~t,~above~exempts from the llcenslng.requirement of the Act those who engage In pluxbing under the.sup&vdsion and control of a Master Plumber. :We are o$Tthe~op$n$on~that :ltdoes not exelilpt them from the licensiiig'requlrementof.the Act. ..- .. The underl'ined.language. fro&~Section 14 above must be construed in Cion$ektvith'khe rest of'the Section. Section 14 gives a period of grace of one hundred twenty says after-the effective date of the Act for plumbing without a license. Thereafter, two activities are pro- hibited: (1) any person% engaging in, working at; or conduct&g the,business ,of plumbing'(as defined inthe Act) wrthout'a license; and (2) any persoh's;firmfs or corporation's engaging in or working at the business of 478 Eon, C. E. B&lk, Page 4 (V+&) .. lnstalling'plumblng~and dOi@ plumbing &rk and for the oontrol using the&for un.lic.ensed.Ijlumbers and saperv%slon'i%fsach-p>un@lng (88:defined Xn the Act). These,portions of B&&ion 14 prohibit'anyvne from engaging IIJplumbing wXthout+ lloenseJ or en- gaging in plumbi.ngthrough others who are snot 1ioenaeU.- ~Nothlng.lnthis Seation graats an exemption to engage in plu&lng +thout a 'llc@p merely becatisesuch activity is undtr '+$KI supe+3~on a~ndcontrol of 5 licensed plumber. .. A'pe&on engagit$~'in'plunibingwith@ the deflnltlon~.thereofas set'out.ln the Plumbin& Lloense,~Law~ of 1947'1s not exempt from'the ~lXolcdnsingz%q~tielqents of thatAot merely‘becausq su6h aotgvity will be under the supervtiSoti’~Iand ooxitrol~ofa'p+ber licetied undetiy.Acti .; .': . : .