Bill Text: FL S0404 | 2014 | Regular Session | Enrolled
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-Enrolled.html
ENROLLED
2014 Legislature CS for CS for SB 404
2014404er
1
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 January 1, 2015.
