HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1627

             As Reported By House Committee On:

                      Commerce & Labor

Title:  An act relating to engineers and professional land surveyors.

Brief Description:  Changing the registration requirements relating to professional land surveyors and engineers.

Sponsors:  Representatives Heavey and King; by request of Department of Licensing.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Commerce & Labor, February 19, 1993, DP.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority Report:  Do pass.  Signed by 9 members:  Representatives Heavey, Chair; G. Cole, Vice Chair; Lisk, Ranking Minority Member; Chandler, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Conway; Horn; King; Springer; and Veloria.

Staff:  Jim Kelley (786-7166).

Background:  Engineers and land surveyors are required to be registered with the Department of Licensing as a prerequisite to engaging in the "practice of engineering" or the "practice of land surveying."  Engineer registration is divided into two categories, "professional engineer" and "engineer-in-training."  For land surveyors, there is no category of registration equivalent to "engineer-in-training."

A "professional engineer" must have eight years or more of specific work experience and must have passed an examination prescribed by the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.  Graduation from an approved engineering curriculum of four years or more is considered the equivalent of four years of work experience.  Each year, up to four, in an approved program is considered the equivalent of one year of experience.

An "engineer-in-training" must have at least four years of experience as required for a professional engineer and must have passed the first part of a two-part examination.

A "professional land surveyor" must have six years or more of specific work experience and must have passed an examination prescribed by the board.  Graduation from an approved curriculum of four years or more is considered the equivalent of four years of work experience.

The registration requirements do not prevent or affect the work of an employee or subordinate of a registered engineer or land surveyor as long as the employee's work does not include final design or decisions and is done directly under the direct responsibility, checking, and supervision of the registered person.

Summary of Bill:  The registration provisions relating to land surveyors are amended to make the land surveyor registration requirements roughly equivalent to the engineer registration requirements.

A "professional land surveyor" must have eight years or more of specific work experience and must have passed an examination prescribed by the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.  Graduation from an approved curriculum of four years or more is considered the equivalent of four years of work experience.  Approved postgraduate college courses shall be considered for up to one additional year of experience.

A new category of registrant, a "land surveyor-in-training", is created.  A "land surveyor-in-training" must have at least four years of experience as required for a professional land surveyor and must have passed the first part of a two-part examination.  The examinations for "engineer-in-training" and "land surveyor-in-training" registration may be taken after the applicant has achieved senior standing at an approved school.

Fiscal Note:  Available.

Effective Date:  The bill takes effect July 1, 1994.

Testimony For:  The provision creating a land surveyor-in-training will make the recent college graduates more employable.  It will also provide employers a measure of employee competence.  Oregon and Idaho have similar programs that are working well.

Testimony Against:  None.

Witnesses:  Alan Rathbun, Department of Licensing; Jerry Olson, Board of Registration for Engineers and Land Surveyors; and Patrick Beehler and Kenneth Brown, Land Surveyors Association of Washington (all in favor).