1-1 By: Wentworth S.B. No. 697
1-2 (In the Senate - Filed February 14, 2001; February 15, 2001,
1-3 read first time and referred to Committee on Business and Commerce;
1-4 March 15, 2001, reported favorably by the following vote: Yeas 5,
1-5 Nays 0; March 15, 2001, sent to printer.)
1-6 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
1-7 AN ACT
1-8 relating to the regulation of the practice of professional
1-9 engineering.
1-10 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
1-11 SECTION 1. Section 8, The Texas Engineering Practice Act
1-12 (Article 3271a, Vernon's Texas Civil Statutes), is amended by
1-13 amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (e) to read as
1-14 follows:
1-15 (c) The Board by rule may require [recognize, prepare, or
1-16 administer] continuing education [programs] for persons regulated
1-17 by the Board under this Act. Rules adopted under this subsection:
1-18 (1) may not require a license holder to obtain more
1-19 than eight hours of continuing education in one year;
1-20 (2) shall permit a license holder to certify at the
1-21 time the license is renewed that the license holder has complied
1-22 with the Board's continuing education requirements; and
1-23 (3) shall permit a license holder to receive
1-24 continuing education credit for educational, technical, ethical, or
1-25 professional management activities related to the practice of
1-26 engineering, including:
1-27 (A) successfully completing or auditing a course
1-28 sponsored by a college or university;
1-29 (B) successfully completing a course certified
1-30 by a professional or trade organization;
1-31 (C) attending a seminar, tutorial, short course,
1-32 correspondence course, videotaped course, or televised course;
1-33 (D) participating in an in-house course
1-34 sponsored by a corporation or other entity;
1-35 (E) teaching a course described by Paragraphs
1-36 (A)-(D) of this subdivision;
1-37 (F) writing a published article, paper, or book;
1-38 (G) making or attending a presentation at a
1-39 meeting of a technical or engineering management society or
1-40 organization or writing a paper presented at such a meeting;
1-41 (H) participating in the activities of a
1-42 professional society or association, including serving on a
1-43 committee of the organization; and
1-44 (I) engaging in self-directed study.
1-45 [Participation in the programs is voluntary.]
1-46 (e) At the request of any person, the Board may review a
1-47 proposal for the procurement of services issued by a governmental
1-48 entity and issue a finding regarding whether the services are
1-49 within the scope of the practice of professional engineering for
1-50 purposes of Subchapter A, Chapter 2254, Government Code.
1-51 SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2001.
1-52 * * * * *