Happy 2021, and welcome to the fourth issue of On The Level. I hope this new year finds you and your families well. We at TDLR are looking forward to seeing what the new year will bring all of us -- hopefully a widely available COVID-19 virus vaccine and improved health for all of us.

While 2020 was quite challenging for our licensees and for TDLR, I am so proud of how our staff responded to the strange situation we found ourselves in. Most TDLR employees began working from home in mid-March. The heroes were the ones who continued to go to the office to process mail and work on licensing issues. Even though some of us contracted COVID-19 and we had to shut down our mailroom several times, the important work of assisting our licensees continued, with other staffers stepping in to help. Thank you for your patience during these trying times.

Our Commission and Advisory Boards continued meeting during the pandemic, gathering via teleconference to ensure that the important work of protecting consumers and business continue without interruption. I'm so proud of the flexibility our advisory boards showed; the virtual meetings were just as productive as those held in person in non-pandemic times.

We also met virtually with the Texas Sunset Commission, which has been evaluating our agency to determine whether TDLR should continue as an agency. I'm gratified to say that the Sunset Advisory Commission voted on January 13 to recommend that the Legislature also vote to extend us. 

Next on the horizon? We've been working on preparations for the 87th session of the Texas Legislature, which convenes on January 12, 2021, and will run until May 31. Legislators began pre-filing bills on Nov. 9 and will continue to introduce more bills in the next few weeks. TDLR staff have been tracking bills that could impact our agency and our licensees, and we've got a webpage devoted to a list of those bills. Be sure to bookmark the page and stop by during the session to see if any of the bills could affect your industry.

Thank you for all you do to care for the people of Texas. What you do matters, and we are proud to be associated with you. Be safe in 2021!

Yours in Service,

Brian E. Francis

Executive Director

We're excited to announce that we're developing the Texas Licensing System (TLS), a comprehensive licensing system and database that will eventually support all 40 TDLR-regulated professions. TLS will replace the nine different licensing database systems that TDLR currently maintains. 

We're excited to announce that the Electricians program will be among the first programs that will move over to TLS when it first rolls out, hopefully at the end of this year. 

We can't wait to show off this new system, which will make applying and renewing for TDLR licenses much easier for our licensees.

TDLR has adopted the following applicable codes mentioned in Texas Administrative Code Chapter 75 and Chapter 1302 of the Occupations Code, effective January 1, 2021:

• 2018 International Residential Code;
• 2018 International Mechanical Code;
• 2018 International Fuel Gas Code; and
• 2018 Uniform Mechanical Code.

The 2015 codes remained in effect through December 31, 2020. All air conditioning and refrigeration work permitted or started before January 1, 2021 may be completed in accordance with the 2015 code editions.

Inmate education is an important step to reducing recidivism rates nationwide. Numerous Texas Department of Criminal Justice units provide training in the trades through the Windham School District, including in several TDLR-licensed trades and professions. 

TDLR provides outreach within the Texas prison system to advise inmates before they become applicants for trade licenses.

During one outreach visit before the coronavirus mitigation restrictions, TDLR’s Air Conditioning and Refrigeration Chief Bill Weatherly and Enforcement Prosecutor Trevor Theilen traveled from Austin to Gatesville to speak with the inmates-students from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice Crane & Sycamore units.

“We were very well received by the students and faculty in attendance, with lots of audience questions and participation…especially during Trevor’s presentation on criminal background evaluations! The enthusiasm and sense of hope was palpable in the room.” – Bill Weatherly, ACR Chief

Learn more about this program and an agreement we recently entered into with the Windham School District, the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the Texas Workforce Commission.

Escalators can make it easier to move lots of people efficiently from one floor to another, but it's also easier to be badly injured if riders are not paying attention and don't follow simple safety rules.

• Stand squarely in the middle of the escalator step
• Grasp the handrail with one hand
• Pay close attention when entering & exiting the escalator

Remember, no wheeled carts (strollers, rolling luggage, wheelchairs) are allowed on escalators.

Let’s make sure everyone gets to where they are going - and in one piece. Ride Safe!

Although Chapter 469 of the Government Code (Elimination of Architectural Barriers) makes it clear that owners are responsible for complying with the Texas Accessibility Standards, some still find that confusing.

Some facility owners have management companies that handle compliance for them, or they may choose to put the responsibility on their designers, or require that tenants handle compliance issues. If owners choose to have someone else handle compliance with the Texas Accessibility Standards (TAS) for them, the owner must complete the TDLR Owner Agent Designation form, which acknowledges that their agent can make changes and decisions on their behalf.

HOWEVER, allowing someone else to handle compliance does not alleviate the owner's final responsibility for complying with TAS. We have prepared an information sheet to answer some frequently asked questions about project ownership and TAS compliance. 

The Industrialized Housing and Buildings Program has entered the 21^st century – finally! As of October 31, 2020, all plans and documents approved by the design review agencies (DRAs) are submitted electronically to TDLR. No more paper copies!

Here's a shout-out to TDLR staff members Yvonne Feinleib, Teresa Alvarez, and Jorge Centeno for making this happen. We couldn’t have done it without you.

Many Texas cities are exploring new ways to handle an increase of COVID-19 calls and other calls that are not immediate threats to property or life.

Many Code Enforcement Officers find themselves assisting police and fire departments by responding to public safety calls.

The Austin City Council is seeking to use Code Enforcement Officers as a more cost-effective way to respond to certain types of calls presently handled by police officers. Council members say that having CEOs handle the calls instead would allow police officers to focus on other crimes.

Do you need a verification of your license? You can do that online! Find the link on the right-hand side of your profession's program webpage.

Reminder: You can renew online using a credit card instead of mailing in a paper form and a check whenever possible, as online renewals are automated and processed within a week of receipt.

Applicants for new licenses should check the TDLR website to see whether their license type allows for original applications to be submitted online. If so, they should apply online and submit documents electronically to help speed up the licensing process.

Please file a complaint with TDLR alleging unlicensed practice if you have evidence that a person or business with a revoked license is continuing to advertise or perform services that require a license in Texas.

HOW TO FILE A COMPLAINT- You can file a complaint online for most TDLR programs. You will be asked to choose whether you are filing a complaint against a licensed or an unlicensed person or business. If you are unsure about whether the person or business holds a TDLR license, use the unlicensed link.

If your complaint does not allege a violation of the law or rules or does not include enough information for TDLR to investigate the allegations, TDLR will not open a complaint.

If you want to receive information about the status or progress of your complaint, you must provide your name and contact information when you submit the complaint.

Read more about TDLR's complaint investigation and resolution process.