Florida Senate - 2025 SB 320
By Senator Gaetz
1-00570-25 2025320__
1 A bill to be entitled
2 An act relating to licensure requirements for
3 surveyors and mappers; amending s. 472.013, F.S.;
4 conforming a provision to changes made by the act;
5 requiring the Board of Professional Surveyors and
6 Mappers to establish and administer the 1st Step
7 Florida Surveyors and Mappers Credentialing and
8 Licensing Protocol as an alternative pathway to
9 temporary licensure; providing requirements for
10 eligibility to take the surveyor and mapper licensure
11 examination under the protocol; providing for the
12 expiration of licenses granted pursuant to the
13 protocol; requiring the department to provide certain
14 notice to applicants; reenacting s. 472.015(4), F.S.,
15 relating to licensure, to incorporate the amendment
16 made to s. 472.013, F.S., in a reference thereto;
17 providing an effective date.
18
19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:
20
21 Section 1. Section 472.013, Florida Statutes, is amended to
22 read:
23 472.013 Examinations;, prerequisites; alternative pathway
24 to licensure.—
25 (1) A person desiring to be licensed as a surveyor and
26 mapper shall apply to the department for licensure.
27 (2) An applicant shall be entitled to take the licensure
28 examination to practice in this state as a surveyor and mapper
29 if the applicant is of good moral character and has satisfied
30 one of the following requirements or the requirements under
31 subsection (3):
32 (a) The applicant has received a bachelor’s degree, its
33 equivalent, or higher in surveying and mapping or a similarly
34 titled program, including, but not limited to, geomatics,
35 geomatics engineering, and land surveying, from a college or
36 university recognized by the board and has a specific experience
37 record of 4 or more years as a subordinate to a professional
38 surveyor and mapper in the active practice of surveying and
39 mapping, which experience is of a nature indicating that the
40 applicant was in responsible charge of the accuracy and
41 correctness of the surveying and mapping work performed. Work
42 experience acquired as a part of the education requirement may
43 not be construed as experience in responsible charge.
44 (b) The applicant has received a bachelor’s degree, its
45 equivalent, or higher in a course of study, other than in
46 surveying and mapping, at an accredited college or university
47 and has a specific experience record of 6 or more years as a
48 subordinate to a registered surveyor and mapper in the active
49 practice of surveying and mapping, 5 years of which shall be of
50 a nature indicating that the applicant was in responsible charge
51 of the accuracy and correctness of the surveying and mapping
52 work performed. The applicant must have completed a minimum of
53 25 semester hours from a college or university approved by the
54 board in surveying and mapping subjects or in any combination of
55 courses in civil engineering, surveying, mapping, mathematics,
56 photogrammetry, forestry, or land law and the physical sciences.
57 Any of the required 25 semester hours of study completed not as
58 a part of the bachelor’s degree, its equivalent, or higher may
59 be approved at the discretion of the board. Work experience
60 acquired as a part of the education requirement may not be
61 construed as experience in responsible charge.
62 (3) The Legislature recognizes that it is imperative that
63 this state meet the increasing demand for surveyors and mappers.
64 Therefore, as a substitute for the degree requirements to take
65 the exams for licensure as outlined in subsection (2), the board
66 shall establish and administer a certification and licensing
67 program known as the 1st Step Florida Surveyors and Mappers
68 Credentialing and Licensing Protocol to provide a temporary
69 alternative pathway to licensure.
70 (a) Beginning January 30, 2026, pursuant to the protocol, a
71 person desiring to be licensed as a surveyor and mapper who does
72 not meet the requirements imposed under subsection (2) may take
73 the licensure examination to practice in this state as a
74 surveyor and mapper if he or she is of good moral character and
75 both of the following requirements are met:
76 1. The applicant has paid the fees required under s.
77 472.011.
78 2. The applicant provides a letter of recommendation to the
79 department from his or her employer or a prospective employer,
80 provided that such employer or prospective employer is a
81 licensed land surveyor or mapper.
82 (b) Licensure granted pursuant to the protocol expires on
83 December 15, 2031. The department shall notify all persons who
84 apply for licensure under this subsection of this expiration
85 date and that they must meet the requirements imposed under
86 subsection (2) and be licensed under that subsection as a
87 condition of continuing to practice as a surveyor and mapper
88 after that date.
89 (c) This subsection is exempt from the prohibition on
90 licensure based solely on a passing score on the examination in
91 s. 472.015(3)(a).
92 (4) A person shall be entitled to take an examination for
93 the purpose of determining whether he or she is qualified as a
94 surveyor and mapper intern if:
95 (a) The person is in good standing in, or is a graduate of,
96 a bachelor degree program, its equivalent or higher, at an
97 accredited college or university and has obtained a minimum of
98 25 semester hours in surveying, mapping, mathematics,
99 photogrammetry, forestry, civil engineering, or land law and the
100 physical sciences, or any combination thereof; or
101 (b) The person has obtained, from an accredited college or
102 university, a minimum of 15 semester hours in surveying,
103 mapping, mathematics, photogrammetry, forestry, civil
104 engineering, or land law and the physical sciences, or any
105 combination thereof, and has a specific surveying and mapping
106 experience record of 2 or more years as a subordinate to a
107 registered surveyor and mapper.
108
109 This subsection may not be construed as a substitute for the
110 degree requirement to take the exams for licensure as outlined
111 in subsection (2).
112 (5)(4) The board shall adopt rules providing for the review
113 and approval of schools and colleges and the courses of study in
114 surveying and mapping in such schools and colleges. The rules
115 shall be based on the educational requirements for surveying and
116 mapping as defined in s. 472.005. The board may adopt rules
117 providing for the acceptance of the approval and accreditation
118 of schools and courses of study by a nationally accepted
119 accreditation organization.
120 (6)(a)(5)(a) Good moral character means a personal history
121 of honesty, fairness, and respect for the rights of others and
122 for the laws of this state and nation.
123 (b) The board may refuse to certify an applicant for
124 failure to satisfy this requirement only if:
125 1. There is a substantial connection between the lack of
126 good moral character of the applicant and the professional
127 responsibilities of a registered surveyor and mapper; and
128 2. The finding by the board of lack of good moral character
129 is supported by clear and convincing evidence.
130 (c) When an applicant is found to be unqualified for a
131 license because of a lack of good moral character, the board
132 shall furnish the applicant a statement containing the findings
133 of the board, a complete record of the evidence upon which the
134 determination was based, and a notice of the rights of the
135 applicant to a rehearing and appeal.
136 Section 2. For the purpose of incorporating the amendment
137 made by this act to section 472.013, Florida Statutes, in a
138 reference thereto, subsection (4) of section 472.015, Florida
139 Statutes, is reenacted to read:
140 472.015 Licensure.—
141 (4) The board shall certify for licensure any applicant who
142 satisfies the requirements of s. 472.013 and who has passed the
143 licensing examination. The board may refuse to certify any
144 applicant who has violated any of the provisions of s. 472.031.
145 Section 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.