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.