SRC-MWN S.B. 697 77(R)   BILL ANALYSIS


Senate Research Center   S.B. 697
77R5106 SMH-FBy: Wentworth
Business & Commerce
3/11/2001
As Filed


DIGEST AND PURPOSE 

Currently, licensed professional engineers are one of the few professional
or occupational groups without mandatory continuing education requirements.
The Board of Professional Engineers is authorized to administer a
continuing education program, but participation in the program is
voluntary. As proposed, S.B. 697 authorizes the Board of Professional
Engineers to adopt rules requiring continuing education and to establish
standards for these rules, including activities for which a licensee is
authorized to receive credit. 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Board of
Professional Engineers in SECTION 1 (Section 8, Article 3271a, V.T.C.S.) of
this bill. 

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 8, Article 3271a (The Texas Engineering Practice
Act), V.T.C.S., by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (e), to
authorize the Texas Board of Professional Engineers (board) by rule to
require, rather than recognize, prepare, or administer, continuing
education, rather than continuing education programs, for persons regulated
by the board under this Act. Provides that rules adopted under this
subsection are prohibited from requiring a license holder to obtain more
than eight hours of continuing education in one year; must permit a license
holder to certify at the time the licence is renewed that the license
holder has complied with the board's continuing education requirements; and
must permit a license holder to receive continuing education credit for
educational, technical, ethical, or professional management activities
related to the practice of engineering. Sets forth activities which might
meet those guidelines. Deletes text stating that participation in the
programs is voluntary. Authorizes the board, at the request of any person,
to review a proposal for the procurement of services issued by a
governmental entity and issue a finding regarding whether the services are
within the scope of the practice of professional engineering for purposes
of Chapter 2254A (Professional Services), Government Code. 

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2001.