Bill Text: FL S0404 | 2014 | Regular Session | Comm Sub

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-Comm_Sub.html

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       Florida Senate - 2014                              CS for SB 404
       
       
        
       By the Committee on Regulated Industries; and Senator Grimsley
       
       
       
       
       
       580-01117-14                                           2014404c1
    1                        A bill to be entitled                      
    2         An act relating to professional geology; amending s.
    3         492.104, F.S.; providing for apportionment of
    4         examination fees; amending s. 492.105, F.S.; revising
    5         examination requirements for professional geologists;
    6         creating s. 492.1051, F.S.; providing requirements for
    7         registration as a geologist-in-training; requiring
    8         geologist-in-training applicants to successfully
    9         complete the fundamentals of geology portion of the
   10         licensure examination; requiring an application fee
   11         and a refundable examination fee; requiring the
   12         Department of Business and Professional Regulation to
   13         submit each completed application to the Board of
   14         Professional Geologists for certification; setting
   15         forth the criteria the board may use to certify
   16         applicants; requiring the department to register each
   17         person as a geologist-in-training whom the board
   18         certifies has successfully completed the fundamentals
   19         portion of the geology examination; exempting
   20         registered geologist-in-training seeking licensure as
   21         a professional geologist from retaking the
   22         fundamentals of geology portion of the examination;
   23         providing an effective date.
   24          
   25  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
   26  
   27         Section 1. Subsection (2) of section 492.104, Florida
   28  Statutes, is amended to read
   29         492.104 Rulemaking authority.—The Board of Professional
   30  Geologists has authority to adopt rules pursuant to ss.
   31  120.536(1) and 120.54 to implement this chapter. Every licensee
   32  shall be governed and controlled by this chapter and the rules
   33  adopted by the board. The board is authorized to set, by rule,
   34  fees for application, examination, certificate of authorization,
   35  late renewal, initial licensure, and license renewal. These fees
   36  should not exceed the cost of implementing the application,
   37  examination, initial licensure, and license renewal or other
   38  administrative process and shall be established as follows:
   39         (2) The examination fee shall not exceed $250 and the fee
   40  may be apportioned to each part of a multi-part examination. The
   41  examination fee shall be refundable in whole or part if the
   42  applicant is found to be ineligible to take any portion of the
   43  licensure examination.
   44         Section 2. Paragraphs (d) and (e) of subsection (1) of
   45  section 492.105, Florida Statutes, are amended to read:
   46         492.105 Licensure by examination; requirements; fees.—
   47         (1) Any person desiring to be licensed as a professional
   48  geologist shall apply to the department to take the licensure
   49  examination. The written licensure examination shall be designed
   50  to test an applicant’s qualifications to practice professional
   51  geology, and shall include such subjects as will tend to
   52  ascertain the applicant’s knowledge of the fundamentals, theory,
   53  and the practice of professional geology and may include such
   54  subjects as are taught in curricula of accredited colleges and
   55  universities. The written licensure examination may be a multi
   56  part examination. The department shall examine each applicant
   57  who the board certifies:
   58         (d) Has fulfilled Fulfills the following educational
   59  requirements at a college or university, the geological
   60  curricula of which meet the criteria established by an
   61  accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of
   62  Education:
   63         1. Graduation from such college or university with a major
   64  in geology or other related science acceptable to the board; and
   65         2. Satisfactory completion of at least 30 semester hours or
   66  45 quarter hours of geological coursework courses, 24 of which
   67  must be at the third or fourth year or graduate level.
   68         (e) Has at least 5 7 years of verified professional
   69  geological work experience, which includes shall include a
   70  minimum of 3 years of professional geological work under the
   71  supervision of a licensed or qualified geologist or professional
   72  engineer registered under chapter 471 as qualified in the field
   73  or discipline of professional engineering work performed
   74  involved; or has have a minimum of 5 accumulative years of
   75  verified geological work years’ experience in responsible charge
   76  of geological work as determined by the board. The following
   77  criteria of education and experience qualify, as specified,
   78  toward accumulation of the required 7 years of professional
   79  geological work:
   80         1. Each year of undergraduate study in the geological
   81  sciences shall count as 1/2 year of the experience requirement,
   82  up to a maximum of 2 years, and each year of graduate study
   83  shall count as 1 year of the experience requirement.
   84         2. Credit for undergraduate study, graduate study, and
   85  graduate courses, individually or in any combination thereof,
   86  shall in no case exceed a total of 2 years toward meeting the
   87  requirements for at least 7 years of professional geological
   88  work.
   89         3. Full-time teaching or research in the geological
   90  sciences at the college level shall be credited year for year
   91  toward meeting the requirement in this category.
   92         4. The ability of the applicant shall have been
   93  demonstrated by his or her having performed the work in a
   94  responsible position as determined by the board.
   95         Section 3. Section 492.1051, Florida Statutes, is created
   96  to read:
   97         492.1051 Registered geologist-in-training; requirements.—
   98         (1) A person desiring to register as a geologist-in
   99  training shall apply to the department to take a discrete
  100  portion of the examination required for licensure as a
  101  professional geologist in this state. This discrete portion
  102  shall cover the fundamentals of geology. The department shall
  103  examine each applicant who the board certifies:
  104         (a) Has completed the application form and remitted a
  105  nonrefundable application fee and an examination fee that is
  106  refundable if the applicant is found to be ineligible to take
  107  the examination.
  108         (b) Has not committed an act or offense in any jurisdiction
  109  which constitutes grounds for disciplining a professional
  110  geologist licensed under this chapter; and
  111         (c) Has successfully completed at least 30 semester hours
  112  or 45 quarter hours of geological coursework at a college or
  113  university, the geological curricula of which meet the criteria
  114  established by an accrediting agency recognized by the United
  115  States Department of Education and, if still enrolled, has
  116  provided a letter of good academic standing from the college or
  117  university.
  118         (2) The department shall register as a geologist-in
  119  training each applicant who the board certifies has passed the
  120  fundamentals of geology portion of the licensure examination.
  121         (3) A registered geologist-in-training desiring to be
  122  licensed as a professional geologist shall apply to the
  123  department to take the licensure examination as prescribed in s.
  124  492.105(1), but is not required to retake the fundamentals of
  125  geology portion of the licensure examination.
  126         Section 4.  This act shall take effect October 1, 2014.