Independent Electrical Contractors
IEC is actively engaged in developing codes and standards for the electrical industry. Through the national Codes and Standards Committee, IEC is directly involved in a large variety of codes and standards activities including representation on 18-code making panels of the National Fire Protection Association’s (NFPA) 70 National Electrical Code (NEC), NFPA 70 E Standard for Electrical Safety in the Workplace, NFPÅ 820 Standard for Fire Protection in Wastewater Treatment and Collection Facilities, and NFPA 73 Standard for Electrical Inspections for Existing Dwellings.
The IEC Codes and Standards Committee collaborates with all of the electrical industry associations to develop the NEC. IEC also participates in the development of the National Electrical Safety Code and reviews standards created by Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. (UL).
IEC participation directly impacts the electrical industry.
The National Electrical Code 70 (NEC) is a document standard concerned with the installation and use of electrical products. The NEC covers the installation and removal of electrical conductors, equipment, and raceways installed in our homes and businesses. IEC electrical contractors should participate in the development of the rules and regulations that govern the electrical industry.
IEC provides the opportunity to get involved in the process of developing standards like the NEC, Electrical Safety in the Workplace 70E, and more. Members benefit from having IEC representatives on code making panels when it is revised as they provide input for the greater good of IEC.
The purpose of the NEC is the practical safeguarding of persons and property from the hazards arising from the use of electricity. It is not intended as a design specification or an instruction manual for untrained persons. Therefore, IEC provides certain resources to help members fully understand the many intricacies of this living document.
In order to understand what is expected of a technical committee member, please read the IEC Guide to Technical Committee Representation.
NFPA 70E
NFPA 70
A new edition of the National Electrical Code (NEC) is developed every three years in what is called a “code cycle.” The NEC is composed of 18 code-making panels (CMP) with IEC representatives on each panel as well as manufacturers, inspectors, users, installers, labor, consumers, testing labs, and special experts.
Comment stage
The second step in the process is the comment stage. Public comments are accepted on the first draft for 10 weeks. The appropriate technical committee or CMP code-making panel reviews all comments in order to formulate the second draft committee report. Any proposal or comment that is not accepted by the committee must contain a written reason for the rejection. New proposals cannot be submitted during this stage of the code cycle. The CMP can only take action on proposals that have received adequate public review during the proposal stage.
NEC Process
The National Fire Protection Association, Inc. (NFPA) sponsors the development of the NEC®. The NFPA publishes guidelines in the Regulations Governing Committee Projects for the procedures for all of the standards it publishes. For the NEC®, the procedures call for a four step process.
Input stage
The first step in the code process involves issuing a public notice that the NEC® revision process has begun and asking for interested parties to submit proposals for revising the document. The notice is placed in appropriate publications such as the NFPA News, the U.S. Federal Register, and the American National Standards Institute’s Standards Action. This step provides twenty-three weeks for respondents to submit their proposals. Anyone can submit a proposal to change the NEC® provided it contains the required information.
The key to successful code proposals is proper substantiation for the proposed changes. After the last date to receive proposals, code panels meet to discuss and vote on each of the proposed changes. All technical committee reports are posted on the NFPA website for public review. Everyone has the opportunity to submit a comment on each of the proposed changes whether the CMP voted to accept or reject them.
The Third step is the NFPA annual meeting
A notice of intent to make a motion (Nitmam) is accepted for five weeks following the posting of the second draft report. Nitmams are reviewed and validated motions that become certified amending motions (CAM). Certified amending motions are considered and acted on during the annual meeting. The chair of each CMP provides a report on the actions of the committee for approval. Floor action on certified motions occur during this meeting.
The fourth and final step is the appeals and issuance
Any appeal to the Standards Council will be considered and final rulings will be posted on the NFPA website. The Standards Council has the responsibility for overseeing and issuing all of the codes and standards developed for the NFPA. The NEC® Correlating Committee works directly under the Standards Council. The Correlating Committee steers the panels through the process, ensuring that each proposal and comment is processed according to an established operating procedure. Once the process is complete, the Standards Council issues the document for publication.
The NEC® is a legal document designed to be adopted by local and/or state governmental bodies. Local jurisdictions may choose to adopt the code in its entirety, with specific additions or exceptions, or they may choose not to adopt the code at all.
| Panel | Principal | Alernate |
| 1 | David Hittinger IEC of Greater Cincinnati | Matt Hittinger IEC of Greater Cincinnati |
| 2 | David W. Johnson CenTex Chapter IEC | Britt Crist IES Commercial |
| 3 | Robert Jones Houston, Texas | Adam D. Corbin Corbin Electrical Services, Inc. |
| 4 | Duke Schamel Electrical Service Solutions, Inc. | Mark Gillespie TMI Electrical Contractors |
| 5 | G. Scott Harding FB Harding, Inc. | Jon Coulimore JC Electric Inc. |
| 6 | Jerry Kent Kent Systems | Chris Fahrenthold FSG Electric |
| 7 | Jake Gray Denier Electric | William Bruce Bowman Fox Systems, Inc. |
| 8 | Raul Vasquez IEC San Antonio | Javier Herrera Central Electric Company |
| 9 | Carmon Colvin Bright Future Electric, LLC | Gary Boom Parkin Electric Inc. |
| 10 | Steve Struble Freeman's Electric. | Joe Chandler IEC Dallas Chapter |
| 11 | George Tidden iES Commercial | Ron Greenhill Electric Solutions, Inc. |
| 12 | Eddie Rodriguez IEC Texas Gulf Coast | Gilbert Soliz IEC Texas Gulf Coast |
| 13 | Matt Grover King's Electric Services | Larry Ayer Biz Com Electric, Inc. |
| 14 | Lowell Reith Interstates Construction Services, Inc. | David Caffrey Centerfire Electric Inc. |
| 15 | James Seabury Enterprise Electric LLC | Carmon Colvin Bright Future Electric, LLC |
| 16 | Luigi Prezioso M.C. Dean, Inc. | David Schrembeck DBS Communications Inc. |
| 17 | Mike Querry IEC Fort Worth/Tarrant County | Armando Lozano MSF Electric, Inc. |
| 18 | Ron D. Alley Northern New Mexico IEC | Mark Coshal IES Commercial |
These PowerPoints were engineered by the IEC National Codes and Standards Committee with illustration support from ATP, for the benefit of IEC chapters, students, and members. Chapters may access the PowerPoints as a free curriculum resource for their code education needs at the local level.
Careful expertise was employed in designing this educational tool and was led by IEC Codes and Standards Committee Chair, Larry Ayer, and IEC Director of Codes and Standards, David Hittinger. A special thank you again to Larry, David, ATP, IEC members that sit on NFPA Code Panels, and the IEC National Codes and Standards Committee.
IEC members are well aware of the important information contained in the 2023 NFPA 70® National Electrical Code®(NEC), as understanding and utilizing its instruction is key to effective and safe
Raise your hand if you have read every page of any National Electrical Code® book. Ok, now keep your hand up if you’ve read every public comment when the code
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