Bill Text: FL S0404 | 2014 | Regular Session | Introduced

NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft

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Bill Title: Professional Geology

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (? 2-1)

Status: (Passed) 2014-06-13 - Chapter No. 2014-73 [S0404 Detail]

Download: Florida-2014-S0404-Introduced.html

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       Florida Senate - 2014                                     SB 404
       
       
        
       By Senator Grimsley
       
       
       
       
       
       21-00499-14                                            2014404__
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to professional geology; amending s.
    3         492.105, F.S.; revising licensure requirements for
    4         professional geologists; creating s. 492.1051, F.S.;
    5         providing requirements for registration as a
    6         geologist-in-training; requiring geologist-in-training
    7         applicants to successfully complete the Fundamentals
    8         of Geology licensure examination; requiring an
    9         application fee and a licensing fee; requiring the
   10         Department of Business and Professional Regulation to
   11         submit each completed application to the Board of
   12         Professional Geologists for certification; setting
   13         forth the criteria the board may use to certify
   14         applicants; requiring the department to register each
   15         person as a geologist-in-training whom the board
   16         certifies has successfully completed the exam;
   17         exempting registered geologists-in-training seeking
   18         licensure as a professional geologist from retaking
   19         the Fundamentals of Geology licensure examination;
   20         providing an effective date.
   21          
   22  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   23  
   24         Section 1. Paragraphs (d) and (e) of subsection (1) of
   25  section 492.105, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   26         492.105 Licensure by examination; requirements; fees.—
   27         (1) Any person desiring to be licensed as a professional
   28  geologist shall apply to the department to take the licensure
   29  examination. The written licensure examination shall be designed
   30  to test an applicant’s qualifications to practice professional
   31  geology, and shall include such subjects as will tend to
   32  ascertain the applicant’s knowledge of the theory and the
   33  practice of professional geology and may include such subjects
   34  as are taught in curricula of accredited colleges and
   35  universities. The department shall examine each applicant who
   36  the board certifies:
   37         (d) Has fulfilled Fulfills the following educational
   38  requirements at a college or university, the geological
   39  curricula of which meet the criteria established by an
   40  accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of
   41  Education:
   42         1. Graduation from such college or university with a major
   43  in geology or other related science acceptable to the board; and
   44         2. Satisfactory completion of at least 30 semester hours or
   45  45 quarter hours of geological coursework courses, 24 of which
   46  must be at the third or fourth year or graduate level.
   47         (e) Has at least 5 7 years of verified professional
   48  geological work experience, which includes shall include a
   49  minimum of 3 years of professional geological work under the
   50  supervision of a licensed or qualified geologist or professional
   51  engineer registered under chapter 471 as qualified in the field
   52  or discipline of professional engineering work performed
   53  involved; or has have a minimum of 5 years of verified
   54  geological work accumulative years’ experience as in responsible
   55  charge of geological work. The following criteria of education
   56  and experience qualify, as specified, toward accumulation of the
   57  required 7 years of professional geological work:
   58         1. Each year of undergraduate study in the geological
   59  sciences shall count as 1/2 year of the experience requirement,
   60  up to a maximum of 2 years, and each year of graduate study
   61  shall count as 1 year of the experience requirement.
   62         2. Credit for undergraduate study, graduate study, and
   63  graduate courses, individually or in any combination thereof,
   64  shall in no case exceed a total of 2 years toward meeting the
   65  requirements for at least 7 years of professional geological
   66  work.
   67         3. Full-time teaching or research in the geological
   68  sciences at the college level shall be credited year for year
   69  toward meeting the requirement in this category.
   70         4. The ability of the applicant shall have been
   71  demonstrated by his or her having performed the work in a
   72  responsible position as determined by the board.
   73         Section 2. Section 492.1051, Florida Statutes, is created
   74  to read:
   75         492.1051 Geologist-in-training.—Any person desiring to be
   76  registered as a geologist-in-training must successfully complete
   77  the Fundamentals of Geology licensure examination administered
   78  by the National Association of State Boards of Geology.
   79         (1) To take the examination, a person must submit an
   80  application form, a nonrefundable application fee, and an
   81  examination fee to the department. The fees shall be established
   82  pursuant to s. 492.104. The department shall send each completed
   83  application to the board for certification. The board may
   84  certify for examination an applicant who:
   85         (a) Has not committed an act or offense in any jurisdiction
   86  which constitutes grounds for disciplining a professional
   87  geologist licensed under this chapter; and
   88         (b) Has successfully completed at least 30 semester hours
   89  or 45 quarter hours of geological coursework at a college or
   90  university, the geological curricula of which meet the criteria
   91  established by an accrediting agency recognized by the United
   92  States Department of Education and, if still enrolled, has
   93  provided a letter of good academic standing from the college or
   94  university.
   95         (2) The department shall register each person whom the
   96  board certifies has successfully completed the Fundamentals of
   97  Geology examination as a geologist-in-training.
   98         (3) A registered geologist-in-training requesting to be
   99  licensed as a professional geologist in this state is not
  100  required to retake the Fundamentals of Geology licensure
  101  examination.
  102         Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2014.