By: Barrientos, Moncrief S.B. No. 1353 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT 1-1 relating to the regulation of the practice of software engineering. 1-2 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: 1-3 SECTION 1. The Texas Engineering Practice Act (Article 1-4 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes) is amended by adding Section 1-5 12.2 to read as follows: 1-6 Sec. 12.2. REGULATION OF SOFTWARE ENGINEERING. (a) The 1-7 board shall form an advisory committee consisting of persons 1-8 knowledgeable in software engineering, computer science, consulting 1-9 engineering, and others. The committee shall: 1-10 (1) review the rationale for licensing software 1-11 engineers; 1-12 (2) develop a definition of software engineering that 1-13 ensures the protection of public health and safety; 1-14 (3) consider the status and availability of a 1-15 licensing examination for software engineers and the merits of 1-16 licensing software engineers without an examination; and 1-17 (4) consider other issues relevant to the licensing of 1-18 software engineers. 1-19 (b) Until implementation of the recommendations of the 1-20 advisory committee, the board may not issue a license for software 1-21 engineering as a separate discipline within the practice of 1-22 engineering. 1-23 (c) A person who has completed a program certifying that 1-24 person as having expertise with regard to the software of a 2-1 particular software manufacturer may hold that certification forth 2-2 to the public, provided that any use of the term engineer is 2-3 accompanied by a disclaimer of equal or greater emphasis that 2-4 establishes that the person is not licensed by the Texas Board of 2-5 Professional Engineers. 2-6 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 1999. 2-7 SECTION 3. The importance of this legislation and the 2-8 crowded condition of the calendars in both houses create an 2-9 emergency and an imperative public necessity that the 2-10 constitutional rule requiring bills to be read on three several 2-11 days in each house be suspended, and this rule is hereby suspended.