Florida Senate - 2019 COMMITTEE AMENDMENT
Bill No. CS for SB 616
Ì142010PÎ142010
LEGISLATIVE ACTION
Senate . House
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The Committee on Community Affairs (Perry) recommended the
following:
1 Senate Amendment (with title amendment)
2
3 Delete lines 79 - 327
4 and insert:
5 Section 2. Section 471.008, Florida Statutes, is amended to
6 read:
7 471.008 Rulemaking authority.—The board has authority to
8 adopt rules pursuant to ss. 120.536(1) and 120.54 to:
9 (1) Implement provisions of this chapter or chapter 455
10 which confer conferring duties upon it.
11 (2) Ensure competence in the practice of engineering.
12 (3) Ensure accuracy, completeness, and quality in the
13 engineering products provided.
14 Section 3. Subsection (4) of section 471.011, Florida
15 Statutes, is amended to read:
16 471.011 Fees.—
17 (4) The fee for a certificate of authorization shall not
18 exceed $125.
19 Section 4. Paragraph (a) of subsection (1) of section
20 471.013, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
21 471.013 Examinations; prerequisites.—
22 (1)(a) A person shall be entitled to take an examination
23 for the purpose of determining whether she or he is qualified to
24 practice in this state as an engineer if the person is of good
25 moral character and:
26 1. Is a graduate from an approved engineering curriculum of
27 4 years or more in a school, college, or university which has
28 been approved by the board and has a record of 4 years of active
29 engineering experience of a character indicating competence to
30 be in responsible charge of engineering; or
31 2. Is a graduate of an approved engineering technology
32 curriculum of 4 years or more in a school, college, or
33 university which has been approved by the board within the State
34 University System, having been enrolled or having graduated
35 prior to July 1, 1979, and has a record of 4 years of active
36 engineering experience of a character indicating competence to
37 be in responsible charge of engineering; or
38 3. Has, in lieu of such education and experience
39 requirements, 10 years or more of active engineering work of a
40 character indicating that the applicant is competent to be
41 placed in responsible charge of engineering. However, this
42 subparagraph does not apply unless such person notifies the
43 department before July 1, 1984, that she or he was engaged in
44 such work on July 1, 1981.
45
46 The board shall adopt rules providing for the review and
47 approval of schools or colleges and the courses of study in
48 engineering in such schools and colleges. The rules must shall
49 be based on the educational requirements for engineering as
50 defined in s. 471.005. The board may adopt rules providing for
51 the acceptance of the approval and accreditation of schools and
52 courses of study by a nationally accepted accreditation
53 organization.
54 Section 5. Subsections (2), (3), (5), and (6) of section
55 471.015, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
56 471.015 Licensure.—
57 (2)(a) The board shall certify for licensure any applicant
58 who has submitted proof satisfactory to the board that he or she
59 is at least 18 years of age and who:
60 1. Satisfies the requirements of s. 471.013(1)(a)1. and has
61 a record of 4 years of active engineering experience of a
62 character indicating competence to be in responsible charge of
63 engineering; or
64 2. Satisfies the requirements of s. 471.013(1)(a)2. and has
65 a record of 6 years of active engineering experience of a
66 character indicating competence to be in responsible charge of
67 engineering s. 471.013.
68 (b) The board may refuse to certify any applicant who has
69 violated any of the provisions of s. 471.031.
70 (3) The board shall certify as qualified for a license by
71 endorsement an applicant who:
72 (a) Qualifies to take the fundamentals examination and the
73 principles and practice examination as set forth in s. 471.013,
74 has passed a United States national, regional, state, or
75 territorial licensing examination that is substantially
76 equivalent to the fundamentals examination and principles and
77 practice examination required by s. 471.013, and has satisfied
78 the experience requirements set forth in paragraph (2)(a) and s.
79 471.013; or
80 (b) Holds a valid license to practice engineering issued by
81 another state or territory of the United States, if the criteria
82 for issuance of the license were substantially the same as the
83 licensure criteria that existed in this state at the time the
84 license was issued.
85 (5)(a) The board shall deem that an applicant who seeks
86 licensure by endorsement has passed an examination substantially
87 equivalent to the fundamentals examination when such applicant
88 has held a valid professional engineer’s license in another
89 state for 10 15 years and has had 15 20 years of continuous
90 professional-level engineering experience.
91 (b) The board shall deem that an applicant who seeks
92 licensure by endorsement has passed an examination substantially
93 equivalent to the fundamentals examination and the principles
94 and practices examination when such applicant has held a valid
95 professional engineer’s license in another state for 20 25 years
96 and has had 25 30 years of continuous professional-level
97 engineering experience.
98 (6) The board may require a personal appearance by any
99 applicant for licensure under this chapter. Any applicant of
100 whom a personal appearance is required must be given adequate
101 notice of the time and place of the appearance and provided with
102 a statement of the purpose of and reasons requiring the
103 appearance. If an applicant is required to appear, the time
104 period within which a licensure application must be granted or
105 denied is tolled until such time as the applicant appears.
106 However, if the applicant fails to appear before the board at
107 either of the next two regularly scheduled board meetings, the
108 application for licensure may be denied.
109 Section 6. Section 471.019, Florida Statutes, is amended to
110 read:
111 471.019 Reactivation.—The board shall prescribe by rule a
112 reinstatement process for void licenses which includes
113 establishing appropriate continuing education requirements for
114 reactivating a license. The continuing education requirements
115 for reactivating a license for a licensed engineer may not
116 exceed the continuing education requirements prescribed pursuant
117 to s. 471.017 12 classroom hours for each year the license was
118 inactive.
119 Section 7. Subsection (3) of section 471.021, Florida
120 Statutes, is amended to read:
121 471.021 Engineers and firms of other states; temporary
122 certificates to practice in Florida.—
123 (3) The application for a temporary license shall require
124 the constitute appointment of the Department of State as an
125 agent of the applicant for service of process in any action or
126 proceeding against the applicant arising out of any transaction
127 or operation connected with or incidental to the practice of
128 engineering for which the temporary license was issued.
129
130 ================= T I T L E A M E N D M E N T ================
131 And the title is amended as follows:
132 Delete lines 7 - 35
133 and insert:
134 amending s. 471.008, F.S.; revising the Board of
135 Professional Engineers’ rulemaking authority; amending
136 s. 471.011, F.S.; conforming provisions to changes
137 made by the act; amending s. 471.013, F.S.; revising
138 the prerequisites for a person to take an examination
139 that determines whether she or he is qualified to
140 practice in this state as an engineer; deleting an
141 obsolete provision; amending s. 471.015, F.S.;
142 revising licensure certification requirements to
143 include active engineering experience and a minimum
144 age; revising requirements for licensure by
145 endorsement by the board; providing that the time
146 period in which a licensure application must be
147 granted or denied is tolled if an applicant is
148 required to make a personal appearance before the
149 board; authorizing the board to deny a license if such
150 an applicant fails to appear before the board within a
151 specified timeframe; amending s. 471.019, F.S.;
152 requiring the board to adopt rules relating to a
153 reinstatement process for void licenses; revising
154 continuing education requirements for reactivating a
155 license; amending s. 471.021, F.S.; requiring an
156 applicant to appoint the Department of State as an
157 agent of the applicant for service of process of
158 certain actions;