SB 1165 — Engineers, geologists, geophysicists, and land surveyors.

Summary

The Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists, which is within the Department of Consumer Affairs, administers the Professional Engineers Act, the Geologist and Geophysicist Act, and the Professional Land Surveyors' Act. Those acts provide for licensure and regulation of those respective professions by the board. The Professional Engineers Act requires an applicant for registration as a professional engineer to meet specified requirements, including that an applicant for the 2nd division examination has successfully passed the first division examination. That act requires an applicant for a certificate as an engineer-in-training to meet specified requirements and requires the applicant to satisfactorily complete 3 years or more of postsecondary education or engineering experience, or a combination of both, before the applicant is eligible to sit for the first division examination. That act authorizes the board to waive the first division examination for an applicant whose education and experience substantially exceeds the requirements for registration or certification. That act generally permits certificates of registration as a professional engineer and certificates of authority, which authorize the use of specific titles, to be renewed at any time within 3 years after expiration. That act prohibits the renewal, restoration, reinstatement, or reissuance of these certificates unless the applicant meets certain requirements. That act requires the board to set fees, as specified, and requires the renewal fee for a license to be no more than the application fee currently in effect and prohibits the application fee from being greater than $400. This bill would delete the requirement that an applicant for licensure as a professional engineer pass the first division examination in order to sit for the 2nd division examination and would delete the requirement that an applicant for a certificate as an engineer-in-training successfully complete 3 years or more of postsecondary education or engineering experience, or a combination of both, before the applicant is eligible to sit for the first division examination. The bill would instead authorize the board to provide for a waiver of the first division examination for an applicant for a certificate as an engineer-in-training if the applicant's education and experience substantially exceeds the requirements for a certificate. The bill would extend the 3-year renewal period to 5 years after expiration of the certificate of licensure or certificate of authority. The bill would generally prohibit the renewal, restoration, reinstatement, or reissuance of those certificates after 5 years and would authorize the holder of the certificate, after that time, to apply and obtain a new certificate if he or she has not committed acts or crimes that are grounds for denial and he or she passes an examination, if required. The bill would require the renewal fee for a license to be no more than $400. The bill would also make other technical and conforming changes. Existing law, the Geologist and Geophysicist Act, requires an applicant for licensure as a geologist to meet certain requirements, including graduation from a college or university with a major in geological sciences or any other discipline, that, in the opinion of the board, is relevant to geology, and requires an applicant for a certification in a specialty in geology to meet certain requirements, including 7 years of specified professional geological work. That act also requires an applicant for certification as a geologist-in-training to meet certain requirements, including graduation from a college or university with a major in geological sciences or any other discipline, that, in the opinion of the board, is relevant to geology. That act prescribes requirements for plans, specifications, reports, or other documents prepared by a professional geologist or geophysicist, or by a subordinate, including a requirement that they be signed or stamped with the practitioner's seal. Existing law authorizes geologists, specialty geologists, geophysicists, and specialty geophysicists to obtain a seal that meets specified requirements. This bill would additionally allow an applicant for licensure as a geologist, or for certification as a geologist-in-training, instead of the applicable graduation requirements described above, to have completed a combination of at least 30 semester hours, or the equivalent, in courses that, in the opinion of the board, are relevant to geology and would require that at least 24 semester hours, or the equivalent, be in upper division or graduate courses. The bill would additionally require an applicant for a certification in a specialty in geology to successfully pass a written examination in that specialty. The bill would require the plans, specifications, reports, and other documents prepared by geologists or geophysicists, or their subordinates, to be both signed and stamped. The bill would instead require geologists, specialty geologists, geophysicists, and specialty geophysicists to obtain a seal. The Professional Land Surveyors' Act requires an applicant for licensure under the act to meet specified requirements, including successfully passing the 2nd division of the examination, and requires an applicant for a certificate as a land surveyor-in-training to meet specified requirements, including passing the first division of the examination. That act requires an application for each division of the examination to be made to the board, as specified. That act generally permits licensees to be renewed at any time within 3 years after expiration. The act prohibits the renewal, restoration, reinstatement, or reissuance of a license unless the applicant meets certain requirements. That act requires the board to set fees, as specified, and requires the renewal fee for a license to be no more than the application fee currently in effect and prohibits the application fee from being greater than $400. This bill would additionally require an applicant for certification as a land surveyor-in-training and an applicant for licensure as a land surveyor to not have committed specified acts or crimes constituting grounds for denial of licensure. The bill would require an applicant for a certification as a land surveyor-in-training to have satisfactorily completed 2 years or more of postsecondary education in land surveying or experience in land surveying, or a combination of both, and would authorize the board to prescribe the reasonable educational or experience requirements an applicant needs to meet by regulation. The bill would additionally require an applicant for licensure as a land surveyor to be certified as a land surveyor-in-training in this state, be certified as a land surveyor-in-training or surveyor intern in another state or United States territory, or be exempt, as specified. The bill would instead require an application for certification or licensure under the act to be made to the board on a form prescribed by the board. The bill would extend the period within which a renewal of a license may be made to 5 years after expiration. The bill would generally prohibit the renewal, restoration, reinstatement, or reissuance of a license after 5 years and would authorize the holder of a license, after that time, to apply and obtain a new license if he or she has not committed acts or crimes that are grounds for denial and he or she passes an examination, if required. The bill would require the renewal fee for a license to be no more than $400. This bill would also make other technical and conforming changes.

Bill Text

• Chaptered 08/29/16 - Chaptered Current pdf August 29, 2016
• Enrolled 08/12/16 - Enrolled pdf August 12, 2016
• Amended 06/21/16 - Amended Assembly pdf June 21, 2016
• Amended 05/17/16 - Amended Assembly pdf May 17, 2016
• Amended 03/29/16 - Amended Senate pdf March 29, 2016
• Introduced 02/18/16 - Introduced pdf February 18, 2016
• SB1165 View text html

Action History

1. August 29, 2016

   Chaptered by Secretary of State. Chapter 236, Statutes of 2016.

2. August 29, 2016

   Approved by the Governor.

3. August 16, 2016

   Enrolled and presented to the Governor at 11:30 a.m.

4. August 11, 2016

   Assembly amendments concurred in. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 4881.) Ordered to engrossing and enrolling.

5. August 10, 2016

   Ordered to special consent calendar.

6. August 04, 2016

   In Senate. Concurrence in Assembly amendments pending.

7. August 04, 2016

   Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 77. Noes 0. Page 5720.) Ordered to the Senate.

8. June 30, 2016

   Read second time. Ordered to consent calendar.

9. June 29, 2016

   From committee: Do pass. Ordered to consent calendar. (Ayes 18. Noes 0.) (June 29).

10. June 21, 2016

    (Corrected June 21).

11. June 21, 2016

    Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

12. June 16, 2016

    From committee: Do pass as amended and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 16. Noes 0.) (June 14).

13. May 17, 2016

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on B. & P.

14. May 09, 2016

    Referred to Com. on B. & P.

15. April 28, 2016

    In Assembly. Read first time. Held at Desk.

16. April 28, 2016

    Read third time. Passed. (Ayes 37. Noes 0. Page 3710.) Ordered to the Assembly.

17. April 26, 2016

    Read second time. Ordered to third reading.

18. April 25, 2016

    From committee: Be ordered to second reading pursuant to Senate Rule 28.8.

19. April 15, 2016

    Set for hearing April 25.

20. April 12, 2016

    From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 7. Noes 0. Page 3491.) (April 11). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.

21. March 29, 2016

    From committee with author's amendments. Read second time and amended. Re-referred to Com. on B., P. & E.D.

22. March 11, 2016

    Set for hearing April 11.

23. March 03, 2016

    Referred to Com. on B., P. & E.D.

24. February 19, 2016

    From printer. May be acted upon on or after March 20.

25. February 18, 2016

    Introduced. Read first time. To Com. on RLS. for assignment. To print.

Sponsors

• Cannella · Primary

Votes

Subjects