SB 98 creates a new section of Kentucky law governing structural steel welding safety. It defines key terms such as accredited testing facility, AWS, ASME, certified welding inspector, structural steel welding, and welding standards, and ties the bill’s requirements to the American Welding Society’s D1.1 and D1.5 codes. The bill applies when a project’s design professional includes those standards in the job specifications.
Under the bill, general contractors, project managers, contractors, and subcontractors on covered projects must ensure that welders performing structural steel welding have been tested and certified by an AWS-accredited testing facility or an AWS-accredited certifier, and that the welding itself meets the required standards. The bill excludes welding projects performed or requested by a homeowner or farmer on their own premises. The act takes effect January 1, 2027.
Impact
SB 98 adds a new statutory requirement in KRS Chapter 198B for structural steel welding on covered construction projects, effectively making AWS-based certification and code compliance a legal mandate when specified in project documents. It affects contractors, subcontractors, project managers, and welders working on structural steel and bridge-related welding, while leaving private homeowner and farm welding work outside the law’s scope.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have broad legislative support. It passed the Senate 32-4 and later passed the Senate again 36-0 during the veto override process, while the House override passed 89-5. Those margins suggest strong agreement that the measure is a safety and quality assurance bill, with only limited opposition.
Contention
The main point of contention appears to be whether the state should require compliance with external industry standards and certification systems, particularly AWS accreditation, as a legal condition for structural steel welding work. Any opposition likely centered on regulatory burden, cost, or the practical impact on contractors and welders, but the recorded votes show that such concerns did not attract broad support. The homeowner and farmer exemption also suggests lawmakers were attentive to limiting the bill’s reach to commercial and public construction projects.
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