hVAC Technician BIll Passes the Legislature!
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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.
