Proposed Louisiana Licensing Bill Sets Repair, Replacement Requirements

Yesterday's announcement that the Louisiana state legislature is considering a bill that would require the licensure of all auto glass repair and replacement technicians in the state caught some glassBYTES™ readers by surprise.

Upon further research, we bring you what requirements and changes the bill would induce if passed by the state Senate and approved by the governor.

House Bill 259 outlines the requirements for licensure of both auto glass repair and replacement technicians. A repair tech seeking licensure would be required to be at least 18 years old, have at least an eighth-grade education, complete the Auto Glass Technical Institute (AGTI) training developed by the National Glass Association (NGA) or have worked as a trainee for one year, performing at least 200 auto glass repairs, have passed the NGA national exam for repair, and complete the application process, which will include a fee of $50.

Auto glass replacement technicians will be required to meet the same requirements; the only difference would be that if an auto glass replacement technician does not complete the AGTI training, the mandated one-year apprenticeship does not have a minimum number of installations to complete before application. The fee for an auto glass replacement license will be $75.

As the bill currently requires the licensure of each technician individually and not shops as a whole, the anticipated additional cost can run as high as $2000 plus, per technician. For example, the cost for a non-NGA member replacement technician to take the AGTI training course and become licensed in Louisiana would be approximately $1970. To this, a shop could still reasonably be expected to pay $150 to become AGRSS-certified, a fair consideration for shop owners given that the bill also would enforce the AGRSS Standard. If a shop were to decide to become an NGA member, it would cost an additional $275 or more, depending on annual shop income.

If passed, all auto glass technicians in Louisiana will have to be licensed by January 1, 2007, and renew their licenses annually.

The bill also creates the establishment of a commission to oversee state licensure of technicians working on auto glass in any manner. Among the duties of the commission is the "enforcement" of the Auto Glass Replacement Safety Standard (AGRSS™).

CLICK HERE to read the language of House Bill 259 as it has been sent to the Louisiana state Senate for approval.

The bill is pending Senate referral. Assignment to a committee is expected to take place at the next session, Monday, April 24, 2006.

Stay tuned to glassBYTES for more information on the status of the bill as it becomes available.