HB232: HB232 Interstate Massage Compact Act; enact

Although HB 232 was originally titled to enact an Interstate Massage Compact, the Senate Committee on Regulated Industries and Utilities substitute that makes up this bill text instead repeals and rewrites Chapter 14 of Title 43 of Georgia's code (O.C.G.A. Title 43, Chapter 14), the law governing electrical, plumbing, HVAC (called conditioned air), low voltage, and utility contractors. It creates a single State Construction Industry Licensing Board with 27 members split into five divisions, one for each trade, and spells out in detail the license classes, education, experience, exam, and background check requirements for each. The bill also sets penalties for unlicensed work, ranging from civil fines up to $10,000 to misdemeanor charges carrying up to $1,000 and six months in jail, and creates a licensing pathway for military veterans and reciprocity with other states. Separately, it tweaks the tax code's definition of a small business (O.C.G.A. § 48-7-38) and raises the required training hours for massage therapist licensure from 500 to 600 hours.

• Repeals the existing Chapter 14 of Title 43 governing electrical, plumbing, HVAC, low voltage, and utility contractors and replaces it with a new chapter creating a single State Construction Industry Licensing Board.
• Establishes five divisions under the board, one each for electrical contractors, master plumbers and journeyman plumbers, conditioned air (HVAC) contractors, low voltage contractors, and utility contractors, each with its own membership and licensing classes.
• Sets detailed education, experience, examination, and criminal background check requirements for each license class, such as Electrical Contractor Class I and II or Master Plumber Class I and II.
• Allows the board to assess civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation and makes unlicensed practice in these trades a misdemeanor punishable by a fine up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail.
• Creates an expedited licensing path for current or former military members whose training matches a covered trade, and allows reciprocity for people already licensed in another state.
• Increases the minimum training hours required to become a licensed massage therapist in Georgia from 500 hours to 600 hours (O.C.G.A. § 43-24A-8).

Electricians, plumbers, HVAC technicians, low voltage and alarm installers, and utility contractors across Georgia, along with the businesses that employ them, are directly affected by the new licensing board and rules. County and municipal inspection authorities, veterans seeking expedited licenses, and prospective massage therapists are also touched by specific provisions.

Tradespeople in these five fields would face a restructured licensing system with new divisions, classes, and continuing education rules, while homeowners and businesses hiring them would see stricter enforcement, including new fines and misdemeanor charges for unlicensed work. Future massage therapy students would need 100 more training hours than before.

• Section 1 adds language to O.C.G.A. § 43-1-34 clarifying that military licensing portability provisions are cumulative with federal law and impose no additional obligations.
• Section 2 repeals and rewrites Chapter 14 of Title 43 in full, creating the State Construction Industry Licensing Board (O.C.G.A. § 43-14-3) with 27 members across five trade divisions.
• New Code Section 43-14-5 gives the board power to set civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation after notice and hearing.
• New Code Section 43-14-17 sets a misdemeanor penalty of up to $1,000 and six months in jail for chapter violations, plus separate cease-and-desist fines up to $1,500 (most trades) or $5,000 (utility contracting) per violation.
• New Code Section 43-14-21 creates an expedited licensing process for current or former military members with relevant training, requiring application within two years of discharge.
• New Code Section 43-14-23 allows reciprocity for applicants already licensed in another state with substantially similar requirements.
• Section 3 revises the definition of 'small business' in O.C.G.A. § 48-7-38 to set three employee and revenue tiers rather than cross-referencing another code section.
• Section 4 raises the minimum massage therapy training requirement in O.C.G.A. § 43-24A-8 from 500 to 600 hours of course and clinical work.

1. 2026-03-18Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
2. 2026-01-12Senate Recommitted (Senate)
3. 2025-03-21Senate Read Second Time (Senate)
4. 2025-03-20Senate Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (Senate)
5. 2025-02-26Senate Read and Referred (Senate)
6. 2025-02-24House Passed/Adopted (House)
7. 2025-02-24House Third Readers (House)
8. 2025-02-11House Committee Favorably Reported (House)

• Deborah Silcox (R, HD-053)Primary sponsor
• Lee Hawkins (R, HD-027)
• Alan Powell (R, HD-033)
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)

1. PassedHouse voteFebruary 24, 2025

   165 yea, 5 nay (3 not voting, 7 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #73

• contractor licensing
• electrical contractors
• plumbing regulation
• HVAC licensing
• massage therapy licensing