| TO: | Honorable Joe Straus, Speaker of the House, House of Representatives |
| FROM: | John S O'Brien, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB2284 by Hardcastle (Relating to the practice of architecture and engineering.), As Passed 2nd House |
The bill would amend the Occupations Code relating to the practice of architecture and engineering. The bill would require the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners to maintain a list of engineers permitted to engage in the practice of architecture. The bill would allow an engineer who is declined a request to be permitted to engage in the practice of architecture to request a contested case hearing with the State Office of Administrative Hearings. The bill would require the Texas Board of Professional Engineers (TBPE) and the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (TBAE) to form a joint task force relating to scope of practice for architects and engineering. This joint task force would expire on August 31, 2013. The bill would repeal the Joint Advisory Committee on the Practice of Engineering and Architecture (Sections 1001.216 and 1051.212).
The fiscal impacts of costs and revenues that may be generated in association with implementing the provisions of the bill for the TBPE and the TBAE are not considered in this analysis because fiscal impacts for these agencies would be realized outside of the Treasury due to these agencies being Self-Directed and Semi-Independent.
Based on the analysis of the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH), the bill could cause an increase in hearings provided for the TBAE and TBPE. However, it is assumed that SOAH would bill the agencies at its authorized rate for the cost associated with the additional hearings and that the cost associated with the additional hearings would not constitute a significant impact to the state.
| Source Agencies: | 360 State Office of Administrative Hearings, 459 Board of Architectural Examiners, 460 Board of Professional Engineers
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| LBB Staff: | JOB, AG, MW, EH
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