HB 232: Interstate Massage Compact Act; enact

HB 232 started as a bill about an interstate massage therapy compact, but the Senate substitute text supplied here rewrites the bulk of Title 43, Chapter 14 of Georgia law, the chapter that licenses electrical contractors, plumbers, conditioned air (HVAC) contractors, low voltage (alarm, telecom, and general low voltage) contractors, and utility contractors. It repeals the current chapter and enacts a new one that creates a single 27-member State Construction Industry Licensing Board, organized into five divisions, one for each trade, housed under the Secretary of State's office. The new chapter sets out detailed license classes (such as Electrical Contractor Class I and II, Master Plumber Class I and II, Journeyman Plumber, Conditioned Air Contractor Class I and II, four tiers of Low Voltage Contractor, and Utility Contractor, Manager, and Foreman), spelling out experience, exam, affidavit, and background-check requirements for each. It also creates civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation and misdemeanor penalties for unlicensed practice. Separately, the bill increases the minimum training hours to become a licensed massage therapist from 500 to 600 hours, and it redefines 'small business' for a tax deduction statute involving subcontractor payments.

• Repeals and completely rewrites Chapter 14 of Title 43, replacing separate trade boards with one State Construction Industry Licensing Board made up of five divisions covering electrical, plumbing, conditioned air (HVAC), low voltage, and utility contracting.
• Creates a 27-member board appointed by the Governor and confirmed by the Senate, with members serving four-year terms and specific seats reserved for engineers, inspectors, and licensed tradespeople in each division.
• Establishes detailed license and certificate classes for each trade (for example Electrical Contractor Class I and II, Master Plumber Class I and II, four Low Voltage Contractor tiers, Utility Manager and Utility Foreman) with exam, experience, affidavit, and criminal background-check requirements.
• Allows the board to impose civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation and makes unlicensed practice of any covered trade a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to six months in jail, or both.
• Raises the minimum hours of massage therapy education required for licensure from 500 to 600 hours under Georgia's massage therapist licensing law (O.C.G.A. § 43-24A-8).
• Redefines 'small business' for the state's subcontractor tax deduction statute (O.C.G.A. § 48-7-38) using three tiers based on employee count and gross receipts.

Electrical contractors, plumbers, HVAC (conditioned air) contractors, low voltage and alarm system installers, utility contractors and their managers and foremen, prospective massage therapists seeking licensure, and businesses that claim the subcontractor payment tax deduction under O.C.G.A. § 48-7-38.

Tradespeople across five construction-related fields would now be licensed under one consolidated board instead of separate boards, with new classes, experience rules, and background checks that could change how people qualify for and keep their licenses. Massage therapy students would need 100 more training hours before they can be licensed, potentially adding time and cost to entering that profession.

• Section 1 adds language to O.C.G.A. § 43-1-34 clarifying that state license portability rules for transitioning military members work alongside, not in place of, federal law (50 U.S.C. § 4025a).
• Section 2 repeals the old Chapter 14 and enacts a new one, creating the State Construction Industry Licensing Board (new Code Section 43-14-3) with 27 members across five divisions plus two public members.
• New Code Section 43-14-5 gives the board power to set rules, grant reciprocity with other states, and assess civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation.
• New Code Sections 43-14-8 through 43-14-14 set license requirements, exam scores of at least 70, experience hours, and background checks for each trade's license classes.
• New Code Section 43-14-17 makes unlicensed practice a misdemeanor with fines up to $1,000 or up to six months imprisonment, and allows cease and desist orders with fines up to $1,500 (or $5,000 for utility contracting) per violation.
• New Code Section 43-14-21 creates an expedited licensing pathway for current or former military members with relevant training, if they apply within two years of discharge.
• Section 3 amends O.C.G.A. § 48-7-38 to define 'small business' in three tiers based on employee count and annual gross receipts, rather than cross-referencing another code section.
• Section 4 amends O.C.G.A. § 43-24A-8 to raise the required massage therapy educational program 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
• massage therapy licensing
• construction trades
• occupational licensing boards
• small business tax deduction