| 1 | A bill to be entitled |
| 2 | An act relating to land surveying and mapping; amending s. |
| 3 | 472.013, F.S.; revising requirements to be entitled to |
| 4 | take the licensure examination to practice in this state |
| 5 | as a surveyor and mapper; amending s. 472.015, F.S.; |
| 6 | authorizing certain photogrammetrists to qualify for a |
| 7 | license by endorsement; amending s. 472.021, F.S.; |
| 8 | revising liability of partnerships and other business |
| 9 | entities rendering professional surveying and mapping |
| 10 | services; providing an effective date. |
| 11 |
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| 12 | Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: |
| 13 |
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| 14 | Section 1. Paragraph (b) of subsection (2) of section |
| 15 | 472.013, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 16 | 472.013 Examinations, prerequisites.-- |
| 17 | (2) An applicant shall be entitled to take the licensure |
| 18 | examination to practice in this state as a surveyor and mapper |
| 19 | if the applicant is of good moral character and has satisfied |
| 20 | one of the following requirements: |
| 21 | (b) The applicant is a graduate of a 4-year course of |
| 22 | study, other than in surveying and mapping, at an accredited |
| 23 | college or university and has a specific experience record of 6 |
| 24 | or more years as a subordinate to a registered surveyor and |
| 25 | mapper in the active practice of surveying and mapping, 5 years |
| 26 | of which shall be of a nature indicating that the applicant was |
| 27 | in responsible charge of the accuracy and correctness of the |
| 28 | surveying and mapping work performed. The course of study in |
| 29 | disciplines other than surveying and mapping must have included |
| 30 | not fewer than 32 semester hours of study or its academic |
| 31 | equivalent. The applicant must have completed a minimum of, 25 |
| 32 | semester hours from a college or university approved by the |
| 33 | board of which shall be in surveying and mapping subjects or in |
| 34 | any combination of courses in civil engineering, surveying, |
| 35 | mapping, mathematics, photogrammetry, forestry, or land law and |
| 36 | the physical sciences. Any of the required 25 semester hours of |
| 37 | study completed not as a part of the 4-year course of study |
| 38 | shall be approved at the discretion of the board. Work |
| 39 | experience acquired as a part of the education requirement shall |
| 40 | not be construed as experience in responsible charge. |
| 41 | Section 2. Paragraph (a) of subsection (3) of section |
| 42 | 472.015, Florida Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 43 | 472.015 Licensure.-- |
| 44 | (3)(a) The board shall certify as qualified for a license |
| 45 | by endorsement an applicant who: |
| 46 | 1. Holds a valid license to practice surveying and mapping |
| 47 | issued prior to July 1, 1999, by another state or territory of |
| 48 | the United States; has passed a national, regional, state, or |
| 49 | territorial licensing examination that is substantially |
| 50 | equivalent to the examination required by s. 472.013; and has a |
| 51 | specific experience record of at least 8 years as a subordinate |
| 52 | to a registered surveyor and mapper in the active practice of |
| 53 | surveying and mapping, 6 years of which must be of a nature |
| 54 | indicating that the applicant was in responsible charge of the |
| 55 | accuracy and correctness of the surveying and mapping work |
| 56 | performed; or |
| 57 | 2. Holds a valid license to practice surveying and mapping |
| 58 | issued by another state or territory of the United States if the |
| 59 | criteria for issuance of the license were substantially the same |
| 60 | as the licensure criteria that existed in Florida at the time |
| 61 | the license was issued; or. |
| 62 | 3. Is a practicing photogrammetrist who holds the |
| 63 | Certified Photogrammetrist designation of the American Society |
| 64 | for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing and held such designation |
| 65 | on or before July 1, 2005; is a graduate of a 4-year course of |
| 66 | study at an accredited college or university; and has a specific |
| 67 | experience record of 6 or more years as a subordinate to a |
| 68 | Certified Photogrammetrist of the American Society for |
| 69 | Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing in the active practice of |
| 70 | surveying and mapping, 5 years of which shall be of a nature |
| 71 | indicating that the applicant was in responsible charge of the |
| 72 | accuracy and correctness of the surveying and mapping work |
| 73 | performed. The course of study must have included not fewer than |
| 74 | 32 semester hours of study or its academic equivalent. The |
| 75 | applicant must have completed a minimum of 25 semester hours |
| 76 | from a college or university approved by the board in surveying |
| 77 | and mapping subjects or in any combination of courses in civil |
| 78 | engineering, surveying, mapping, mathematics, photogrammetry, |
| 79 | forestry, or land law and the physical sciences. Any of the |
| 80 | required 25 semester hours of study completed not as a part of |
| 81 | the 4-year course of study shall be approved at the discretion |
| 82 | of the board. Work experience acquired as a part of the |
| 83 | education requirement shall not be construed as experience in |
| 84 | responsible charge. The applicant must have applied to the |
| 85 | department for licensure on or before July 1, 2007. |
| 86 | Section 3. Subsection (3) of section 472.021, Florida |
| 87 | Statutes, is amended to read: |
| 88 | 472.021 Certification of partnerships and corporations.-- |
| 89 | (3) The fact that any registered surveyor and mapper |
| 90 | practices through a corporation or partnership shall not relieve |
| 91 | the registrant from personal liability for negligence, |
| 92 | misconduct, or wrongful acts committed by him or her. |
| 93 | Partnerships and all partners shall be jointly and severally |
| 94 | liable for the negligence, misconduct, or wrongful acts |
| 95 | committed by their agents, employees, or partners while acting |
| 96 | in a professional capacity. Any officer, agent, or employee of a |
| 97 | business organization other than a partnership shall be |
| 98 | personally liable and accountable only for negligent acts, |
| 99 | wrongful acts, or misconduct committed by him or her or |
| 100 | committed by any person under his or her direct supervision and |
| 101 | control while rendering professional services on behalf of the |
| 102 | business organization. The personal liability of a shareholder |
| 103 | or owner of a business organization, in his or her capacity as |
| 104 | shareholder or owner, shall be no greater than that of a |
| 105 | shareholder-employee of a corporation incorporated under chapter |
| 106 | 607. The business organization shall be liable up to the full |
| 107 | value of its property for any negligent acts, wrongful acts, or |
| 108 | misconduct committed by any of its officers, agents, or |
| 109 | employees while they are engaged on its behalf in the rendering |
| 110 | of professional services. Corporations and stockholders who are |
| 111 | surveyors and mappers, or partnerships, and all partners, shall |
| 112 | be jointly and severally liable for the negligence, misconduct, |
| 113 | or wrongful acts committed by their agents, employees, officers, |
| 114 | or partners while acting in a professional capacity. |
| 115 | Section 4. This act shall take effect July 1, 2005. |