Florida Senate - 2015 SB 338
By Senator Altman
16-00686-15 2015338__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to engineers; amending s. 471.003,
3 F.S.; prohibiting a person who is not licensed as an
4 engineer from using specified names and titles;
5 amending s. 471.0035, F.S.; conforming a cross
6 reference; amending s. 471.005, F.S.; providing
7 definitions; amending s. 471.015, F.S.; providing
8 licensure and application requirements for a
9 structural engineer license; amending s. 471.031,
10 F.S.; prohibiting specified persons from using the
11 titles of “licensed structural engineer,”
12 “professional structural engineer,” “registered
13 structural engineer,” or “structural engineer”;
14 providing an effective date.
15
16 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
17
18 Section 1. Subsection (1) of section 471.003, Florida
19 Statutes, is amended to read:
20 471.003 Qualifications for practice; exemptions.—
21 (1) No person other than a duly licensed engineer shall
22 practice engineering or use the name or title of “licensed
23 engineer,” “professional engineer,” “registered engineer,”
24 “licensed structural engineer,” “professional structural
25 engineer,” “registered structural engineer,” “structural
26 engineer,” or any other title, designation, words, letters,
27 abbreviations, or device tending to indicate that such person
28 holds an active license as an engineer in this state.
29 Section 2. Section 471.0035, Florida Statutes, is amended
30 to read:
31 471.0035 Instructors in postsecondary educational
32 institutions; exemption from licensure requirement.—For the sole
33 purpose of teaching the principles and methods of engineering
34 design, notwithstanding the provisions of s. 471.005(8) s.
35 471.005(7), a person employed by a public postsecondary
36 educational institution, or by an independent postsecondary
37 educational institution licensed or exempt from licensure
38 pursuant to the provisions of chapter 1005, is not required to
39 be licensed under the provisions of this chapter as a
40 professional engineer.
41 Section 3. Present subsections (4) through (12) of section
42 471.005, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (5)
43 through (13), respectively, present subsection (13) is
44 redesignated as subsection (4), and new subsections (14) and
45 (15) are added to that section, to read:
46 471.005 Definitions.—As used in this chapter, the term:
47 (14) “Licensed structural engineer,” “professional
48 structural engineer,” “registered structural engineer,” or
49 “structural engineer” means a person who is licensed to engage
50 in the practice of structural engineering under this chapter.
51 (15) “Structural engineering” means a service or creative
52 work that includes the analysis and design of significant
53 structures as defined by the board. The term includes
54 “engineering” as defined in subsection (8) and may be further
55 defined by the board by rule.
56 Section 4. Present subsections (3) through (7) of section
57 471.015, Florida Statutes, are redesignated as subsections (4)
58 through (8), respectively, and a new subsection (3) is added to
59 that section, to read:
60 471.015 Licensure.—
61 (3)(a) The management corporation shall issue a structural
62 engineer license to any applicant whom the board certifies as
63 qualified to practice structural engineering and who:
64 1. Is licensed under this chapter as an engineer or is
65 qualified for licensure as an engineer;
66 2. Submits an application in the format prescribed by the
67 board;
68 3. Pays a fee established by the board under s. 471.011;
69 4. Provides satisfactory evidence of good moral character,
70 as defined by the board;
71 5. Provides a record of 4 years of active structural
72 engineering experience, as defined by the board, under the
73 supervision of a licensed professional engineer; and
74 6. Has successfully passed the National Council of
75 Examiners for Engineering and Surveying structural examination.
76 (b) Before February 28, 2020, an applicant who satisfies
77 subparagraphs (a)1.-5. may satisfy subparagraph (a)6. by
78 submitting a signed affidavit in the format prescribed by the
79 board that states:
80 1. The applicant is currently a licensed engineer in the
81 state and has been engaged in the practice of structural
82 engineering with a record of at least 4 years of active
83 structural engineering experience; and
84 2. The applicant is willing to meet with the board or a
85 representative of the board, upon its request, for the purpose
86 of evaluating the applicant’s qualifications for licensure.
87 (c) An applicant who is qualified for licensure as an
88 engineer under s. 471.013 may simultaneously apply for licensure
89 as a structural engineer if all requirements of s. 471.013 and
90 this subsection are met.
91 Section 5. Paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of section
92 471.031, Florida Statutes, is amended to read:
93 471.031 Prohibitions; penalties.—
94 (1) A person may not:
95 (b)1. Except as provided in subparagraph 2. or subparagraph
96 3., use the name or title “professional engineer” or any other
97 title, designation, words, letters, abbreviations, or device
98 tending to indicate that such person holds an active license as
99 an engineer when the person is not licensed under this chapter,
100 including, but not limited to, the following titles:
101 “agricultural engineer,” “air-conditioning engineer,”
102 “architectural engineer,” “building engineer,” “chemical
103 engineer,” “civil engineer,” “control systems engineer,”
104 “electrical engineer,” “environmental engineer,” “fire
105 protection engineer,” “industrial engineer,” “manufacturing
106 engineer,” “mechanical engineer,” “metallurgical engineer,”
107 “mining engineer,” “minerals engineer,” “marine engineer,”
108 “nuclear engineer,” “petroleum engineer,” “plumbing engineer,”
109 “structural engineer,” “transportation engineer,” “software
110 engineer,” “computer hardware engineer,” or “systems engineer.”
111 2. Any person who is exempt from licensure under s.
112 471.003(2)(j) may use the title or personnel classification of
113 “engineer” in the scope of his or her work under that exemption
114 if the title does not include or connote the term “licensed
115 engineer,” “professional engineer,” “registered engineer,”
116 “licensed professional engineer,” “licensed engineer,”
117 “registered professional engineer,” “licensed structural
118 engineer,” “professional structural engineer,” “registered
119 structural engineer,” or “structural engineer or “licensed
120 professional engineer.”
121 3. Any person who is exempt from licensure under s.
122 471.003(2)(c) or (e) may use the title or personnel
123 classification of “engineer” in the scope of his or her work
124 under that exemption if the title does not include or connote
125 the term “licensed engineer,” “professional engineer,”
126 “registered engineer,” “licensed professional engineer,”
127 “licensed engineer,” “registered professional engineer,”
128 “licensed structural engineer,” “professional structural
129 engineer,” “registered structural engineer,” or “structural
130 engineer” or “licensed professional engineer” and if that person
131 is a graduate from an approved engineering curriculum of 4 years
132 or more in a school, college, or university which has been
133 approved by the board.
134 Section 6. This act shall take effect July 1, 2015.