(b) An applicant for licensure as a journeyman plumber or journeyman gasfitter shall establish to the satisfaction of the Board of Industrial Trades that the applicant has:
(1) Worked as an apprentice plumber or gasfitter for at least 8,000 hours over at least 4 years;
(2) Graduated from an accredited college or university with a degree in mechanical engineering, and has at least 2 years of practical experience as a plumber or gasfitter as verified by a licensed master plumber or licensed master gasfitter; or
(3) Has comparable experience or a combination of education and experience that the Board deems equivalent to the above; and
(4) Such additional evidence as the Board determines is necessary for the particular specialty license sought by the applicant.
(b-1)
(1) The Board shall accept, in lieu of examination and the requirements set forth in subsection (b) of this section, a certificate from a national certifying organization certifying that the applicant:
(A) Has completed the organization’s apprenticeship program;
(B) Has passed the organization’s required examination;
(C) Is designated by that organization as a journeyman plumber or journeyman gasfitter; and
(D) Has not been disciplined or otherwise disqualified by the organization.
(2) For the purposes of this subsection, the term “national certifying organization” shall include a nationally recognized trade organization, non-union sponsor, or labor union that is registered with the Bureau of Apprenticeship Training, the United States Department of Labor, or the District of Columbia Apprenticeship Council.