History of the SPBLA
Prior to the enactment of the Master Plumber Licensing Law in 1990, the local municipalities throughout the State of Louisiana issued a Master Plumber license to operate a pluming company in their area. If a Journeyman Plumber wanted to become a Master Plumber, he had to take an examination in each area in the state that he wanted to operate his plumbing company. If he passed, he paid a fee for that area. Some plumbers held 10 licenses and had to renew these licenses each year. The local authorities administered the exams and held control of licensing.
When the legislature enacted the Master Plumber Licensing Law, the responsibilities were given to the State Plumbing Board. This created fairness and simplified the process for a Journeyman Plumber to become a Master Plumber and operate his own plumbing company. With the Board issuing Master Plumber Licenses, a Journeyman Plumber is required to take one (1) examination and when he passes he pays one (1) license fee. In order to ensure fairness to each person taking the Master Plumber examination, the State Plumbing Board contracts an independent provider to administer the examinations. For the Journeyman Plumber examination, examiners (licensed plumbers) hired by the board administer the practical exam (plumbing projects). The written part of the exam is provided by the same independent provider that administers the Master examination.
Without control over the plumbing industry, the health, safety, and welfare of the citizens of Louisiana is at stake. The history of sanitation in Louisiana is filled with sweeping epidemics brought on by scathingly unsanitary conditions. The State Pluming Board ensures that licensed individuals and companies offering plumbing services meet professional levels of experience. This helps to ensure the water you receive in your home or business is sanitary and provides for effective sewerage control. In turn, this helps to provide for the safety, health, and standard of living for Louisiana citizens. In addition, given the distribution network of the various Louisiana water supplies, security of its contents is paramount in today's society. The State Plumbing Board helps to track these service providers, offers licenses with comprehensive regulations, and assists in the efforts of Homeland Security. .
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