 So how did this happen? The Democratic House sponsor of the bill, Representative Sheila Leiter, told me this was an unintended impact of a bigger plumbing bill. Republican State Senator Byron Pelton, who also sponsored this bill, told me a local plumber's union joined in the negotiations and worked that language in. Both the state health department and the agency that regulates plumbers released a joint statement saying the change is not in the best interest of public health.