BILL REQ. #:  H-1411.1 

Read first time 02/07/11.   Referred to Committee on Business & Financial Services.

     AN ACT Relating to modifying the definition of significant structure to allow an engineer to provide structural engineering services on certain structures without being registered as a structural engineer; and amending RCW 18.43.020.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:

Sec. 1   RCW 18.43.020 and 2007 c 193 s 2 are each amended to read as follows:
     The definitions in this section apply throughout this chapter unless the context clearly requires otherwise.
     (1) "Engineer" means a professional engineer as defined in this section.
     (2) "Professional engineer" means a person who, by reason of his or her special knowledge of the mathematical and physical sciences and the principles and methods of engineering analysis and design, acquired by professional education and practical experience, is qualified to practice engineering as defined in this section, as attested by his or her legal registration as a professional engineer.
     (3) "Engineer-in-training" means a candidate who: (a) Has satisfied the experience requirements in RCW 18.43.040 for registration; (b) has successfully passed the examination in the fundamental engineering subjects; and (c) is enrolled by the board as an engineer-in-training.
     (4) "Engineering" means the "practice of engineering" as defined in this section.
     (5)(a) "Practice of engineering" means any professional service or creative work requiring engineering education, training, and experience and the application of special knowledge of the mathematical, physical, and engineering sciences to such professional services or creative work as consultation, investigation, evaluation, planning, design, and supervision of construction for the purpose of assuring compliance with specifications and design, in connection with any public or private utilities, structures, buildings, machines, equipment, processes, works, or projects.
     (b) A person shall be construed to practice or offer to practice engineering, within the meaning and intent of this chapter, who practices any branch of the profession of engineering; or who, by verbal claim, sign, advertisement, letterhead, card, or in any other way represents himself or herself to be a professional engineer, or through the use of some other title implies that he or she is a professional engineer; or who holds himself or herself out as able to perform, or who does perform, any engineering service or work or any other professional service designated by the practitioner or recognized by educational authorities as engineering.
     (c) The practice of engineering does not include the work ordinarily performed by persons who operate or maintain machinery or equipment.
     (6) "Land surveyor" means a professional land surveyor.
     (7) "Professional land surveyor" means a person who, by reason of his or her special knowledge of the mathematical and physical sciences and principles and practices of land surveying, which is acquired by professional education and practical experience, is qualified to practice land surveying and as attested to by his or her legal registration as a professional land surveyor.
     (8) "Land-surveyor-in-training" means a candidate who: (a) Has satisfied the experience requirements in RCW 18.43.040 for registration; (b) successfully passes the examination in the fundamental land surveying subjects; and (c) is enrolled by the board as a land-surveyor-in-training.
     (9) "Practice of land surveying" means assuming responsible charge of the surveying of land for the establishment of corners, lines, boundaries, and monuments, the laying out and subdivision of land, the defining and locating of corners, lines, boundaries, and monuments of land after they have been established, the survey of land areas for the purpose of determining the topography thereof, the making of topographical delineations and the preparing of maps and accurate records thereof, when the proper performance of such services requires technical knowledge and skill.
     (10) "Board" means the state board of registration for professional engineers and land surveyors, provided for by this chapter.
     (11) "Significant structures" include:
     (a) Hazardous facilities, defined as: Structures housing, supporting, or containing sufficient quantities of explosive substances to be of danger to the safety of the public if released;
     (b) Essential facilities that have a ground area of more than five thousand square feet and are more than twenty feet in mean roof height above average ground level. Essential facilities are defined as:
     (i) Hospitals and other medical facilities having surgery and emergency treatment areas;
     (ii) Fire and police stations;
     (iii) Tanks or other structures containing, housing, or supporting water or fire suppression material or equipment required for the protection of essential or hazardous facilities or special occupancy structures;
     (iv) Emergency vehicle shelters and garages;
     (v) Structures and equipment in emergency preparedness centers;
     (vi) Standby power-generating equipment for essential facilities;
     (vii) Structures and equipment in government communication centers and other facilities requiring emergency response;
     (viii) Aviation control towers, air traffic control centers, and emergency aircraft hangars; and
     (ix) Buildings and other structures having critical national defense functions;
     (c) Structures exceeding one hundred feet in height above average ground level, except that nonoccupied telecommunication and broadcast antenna supporting tower structures are not considered significant structures;
     (d) Buildings that are customarily occupied by human beings and are five stories or more above average ground level;
     (e) Bridges having a total span of more than two hundred feet and piers having a surface area greater than ten thousand square feet; and
     (f) Buildings and other structures where more than three hundred people congregate in one area.