SB 72 — AN ACT TO AMEND TITLE 24 OF THE DELAWARE CODE RELATING TO PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS.

Summary

This bill serves to "decouple" the required examination in Principles and Practice of Engineering from the experience requirements. Applicants who have met their educational requirements may take the examination prior to completion of their experience. (This amendment does not apply to applicants who become licensed solely through experience without an educational component.) Decoupling serves to safeguard life, health, and property and promotes the public welfare by encouraging and facilitating engineering students and new engineers to pursue licensure without lowering the requirements for licensure. Currently, 16 states allow applicants to take the examination before completion of 4 years of experience. This bill also specifies that, for comity applicants, experience may be accepted even where it is obtained outside of the states, territories, or possessions of the United States, the District of Columbia, or provinces or territories of Canada.

Bill Text

• Bill Text View text Current pdf

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This bill amends the requirements for licensure as a professional engineer in Delaware, allowing applicants to take the engineering examination before completing their professional experience and clarifying experience requirements for comity applicants.

• § 2817(7)f.

  The examination in Principles and Practice of Engineering shall not be taken until after the completion of the professional experience requirement. → The examination in Principles and Practice of Engineering shall not be taken until after the satisfactory completion of the educational requirements as outlined in subsections § 2817(1)-(4) of this section or the experience requirements of subsection (5).

  This change allows applicants to take the engineering examination before finishing their professional experience.

• § 2817(7)f.

  The Council may waive this requirement in the case of an applicant who has previously passed the examination in any other state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or province or territory of Canada.

  This change removes the previous language about waiving the requirement for applicants who have passed the examination in other jurisdictions.

• § 2817(6)a.

  territory → territory,

  This change corrects the punctuation for clarity in the list of jurisdictions recognized for comity licensing.

• § 2817(6)a.

  the professional engineering qualifications of the applicant include a minimum of 10 years of continuous and verifiable experience as a professional engineer. → the professional engineering qualifications of the applicant include a minimum of 10 years of professional experience work of a character satisfactory to the Council, such experience indicating that the applicant is competent to practice as an engineer.

  This change modifies the phrasing for clarity regarding the required experience for licensure.

• § 2817(6)a.

  Such experience shall have been obtained in a state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or a province or territory of Canada. → Such experience shall have been obtained in states, territories or possessions of the United States, the District of Columbia, or provinces or territories of Canada, and at At least 8 years of it the applicant’s experience shall have been obtained after the applicant has received the said valid certificate of registration or a license.

  This change clarifies where the experience must be obtained and reinforces the requirement for the timeframe of the experience.

• § 2817(6)a.

  must not have been subject to disciplinary action in the current or previous licensing jurisdictions.

  This change removes the previous stipulation about disciplinary action, possibly broadening eligibility.

Action History

1. July 17, 2019

   Signed by Governor

2. June 26, 2019

   Passed By House. Votes: 41 YES

3. May 08, 2019

   Reported Out of Committee (Sunset Committee (Policy Analysis & Government Accountability)) in House with 4 On Its Merits

4. May 02, 2019

   Assigned to Sunset Committee (Policy Analysis & Government Accountability) Committee in House

5. April 18, 2019

   Passed By Senate. Votes: 21 YES

6. April 17, 2019

   Reported Out of Committee (Sunset) in Senate with 5 On Its Merits

7. April 10, 2019

   Introduced and Assigned to Sunset Committee in Senate

Sponsors

• Ronald E. Gray · Primary
• David B. McBride · Primary

Votes

Subjects