HB 887: Patriots in Trades Act; enact

Georgia law already lets some veterans get certain contractor licenses quickly if their military training matches civilian requirements, but current law only covers a few license types (like Electrical Contractor Class I or Journeyman Plumber) and gives applicants just two years, or in some cases 180 days, after discharge to apply. House Bill 887, called the Patriots in Trades Act, expands this to cover any license or certificate under the affected chapters of Georgia law, not just a handful of named ones. The bill requires licensing board divisions to identify, by January 1, 2026, which military specialties, training, and certifications meet or exceed Georgia's civilian licensing requirements, and to publish that list on the Secretary of State's website. Starting in 2027, boards must review and update the list at least annually. It also extends the application deadline for veterans to four years after discharge (up from two years or, for residential and commercial general contractors, 180 days), and allows boards to extend that period further for individual hardship cases.

• Expands the veteran fast-track licensing process to cover any license or certificate under the electrical, plumbing, HVAC, low-voltage, utility, and general contractor chapters, not just specific named licenses.
• Requires licensing board divisions to identify by January 1, 2026 which military specialties, training, and certifications meet or exceed Georgia's civilian licensing requirements.
• Requires that list of qualifying military specialties and certifications to be published on the Secretary of State's public website and reviewed at least annually starting in 2027.
• Extends the deadline for veterans to apply for immediate license issuance from two years (or 180 days for general contractors) to four years after discharge.
• Allows licensing boards to extend the application deadline further, either for a whole license category or for an individual facing hardship such as health issues or hospitalization.
• Removes the prior committee structure involving the Governor's Office of Workforce Development and instead assigns the specialty-identification task directly to each licensing board division.

Current and former members of the U.S. armed forces, including the National Guard and reserves, who want state contractor licenses; the licensing boards for electrical, plumbing, HVAC, low-voltage, utility, and residential/commercial general contractors; and the Secretary of State's office, which must publish the qualifying specialty list.

Veterans with relevant military training could get a broader range of Georgia contractor licenses faster and would have twice as long (or much longer, for general contractors) after leaving service to apply, potentially making it easier for them to enter skilled trades in Georgia.

• Section 1 names the bill the 'Patriots in Trades Act.'
• Section 2 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 43-14-15, requiring each division of the electrical, plumbing, HVAC, low-voltage, and utility contractor licensing board to identify qualifying military specialties by January 1, 2026, and extending the application window from two years to four years after discharge.
• Section 2 also requires the qualifying specialty list to be published on the Secretary of State's website and reviewed annually starting in 2027.
• Section 3 rewrites O.C.G.A. § 43-41-18 for residential and commercial general contractors, applying the same four-year application window (up from 180 days) and the same specialty-list and publication requirements.
• Section 3 removes the prior limitation to the 'residential light-commercial contractor's license' so the fast-track process applies to any license under that chapter.
• Section 4 repeals conflicting laws.

1. 2025-04-04House Second Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
2. 2025-04-02House First Readers (Cámara de Representantes)
3. 2025-03-31House Hopper (Cámara de Representantes)

• Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)Patrocinador principal
• Steven Sainz (R, HD-180)
• Bill Hitchens (R, HD-161)
• Bethany Ballard (R, HD-147)

• veterans
• contractor licensing
• military service
• skilled trades
• occupational licensing