Chapter 363
2016 -- H 7844 SUBSTITUTE A
Enacted 07/06/2016

A N   A C T
RELATING TO BUSINESSES AND PROFESSIONS -- ENGINEERS

Introduced By: Representatives Marshall, O'Brien, Serpa, Shekarchi, and Costantino
Date Introduced: March 03, 2016

It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
     SECTION 1. Sections 5-8-12 and 5-8-15 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-8 entitled
"Engineers" are hereby amended to read as follows:
     5-8-12. Form of application for registration or certification -- Registration,
certification, and enrollment fees. -- (a) Application for registration as a professional engineer
or land surveyor or certification as an engineer-in-training shall:
      (1) Be on a form prescribed and furnished by the board;
      (2) Contain statements made under oath, showing the applicant's education and a
detailed summary of his or her technical experience, and Establish compliance with the licensing
requirements pursuant to §5-8-11; and
      (3) Contain references as prescribed in § 5-8-11, none of whom may be members of the
board.
      (b) The application and reexamination fees for professional engineers shall be set by the
board in an amount to cover the charges and expenses of examination and scoring, and shall
accompany the application.
      (c) The fee for engineer-in-training certification or enrollment shall be set by the board
in an amount to cover the charges and expenses of examination and scoring, and shall accompany
the application.
      (d) Should the board deny the issuance of a certificate to any applicant, the fee paid shall
be retained as an application fee.
     5-8-15. Expiration and renewal of certificates of registration. -- (a) Certificates of
registration shall expire on the last day of the month of June following their issuance and become
invalid after that date unless renewed. It is the duty of the board to notify every person registered
under this chapter of the date of the expiration of his or her certificate, and the amount of the fee
required for its renewal. The notice shall be mailed delivered, electronically or otherwise, to the
registrant, at his or her last-known address, at least one month in advance of the date of the
expiration of the certificate.
      (b) Renewal may be effected at any time prior to, or during the month of, June by the
payment of a fee set by the board in an amount not less than one hundred fifty dollars ($150), but
not to exceed one hundred eighty dollars ($180). Renewal of an expired certificate may be
effected within a period of three (3) years, provided evidence is submitted to the board attesting
to the continued competence and good character of the applicant. In the event renewal is not
made before the end of the third year, the board may require any reexamination that it deems
appropriate. The amount to be paid for that renewal is the annual fee set by the board in an
amount not to exceed one hundred eighty dollars ($180) times the number of years the applicant
has been delinquent, plus a penalty of sixty dollars ($60.00) per delinquent year.
     SECTION 2. Sections 5-8.1-7, 5-8.1-10 and 5-8.1-13 of the General Laws in Chapter 5-
8.1 entitled "Land Surveyors" are hereby amended to read as follows:
     5-8.1-7. Board of registration for professional land surveyors -- Organization. -- (a)
The board of land surveyors shall hold at least ten (10) three (3) regular meetings each year. A
meeting of the board shall be held once each year, at which time the board shall elect from its
membership a chairperson, vice-chairperson, and a secretary, who shall serve one year, or until
their successors are elected and qualified. Special meetings of the board may be called by the
chairperson or other members of the board in accordance with the rules and regulations of the
board.
      (b) Three (3) members of the board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of all
business, but no action shall be taken at any meeting without three (3) members in accord.
      (c) The board shall adopt a seal for its official actions.
     5-8.1-10. Board of registration for professional land surveyors -- Issuance and
renewal of certificates. -- (a) Surveyors previously registered. - Each land surveyor holding a
certificate of registration under the laws of this state as previously in effect shall be deemed
registered as a professional land surveyor under this chapter.
      (b) Surveyors-in-training previously registered. - Each surveyor-in-training previously
enrolled under the laws of this state as previously in effect shall be deemed enrolled under this
chapter.
      (c) Certificates of registration. - With the assistance of the department, the board of land
surveyors shall issue a certificate of registration upon payment of the registration fee as provided
for in this chapter to any applicant, who, in the judgment of the board, has met the requirements
of this chapter. Enrollment cards are issued to those who qualify as surveyors-in-training. The
certificate of registration shall:
      (1) Carry the designation "professional land surveyor";
      (2) Show the full name of the registrant, without any titles;
      (3) Have a serial number; and
      (4) Be signed by both the chairperson and secretary of the board of land surveyors.
      (d) Effect of certification. - The issuance of a certificate of registration by the board of
land surveyors is prima facie evidence that the person named in the certificate is entitled to all
rights and privileges of a professional land surveyor while the certificate of registration remains
unrevoked or unexpired.
      (e) Expiration and renewals. - Certificates of registration that expire are invalid,
rendering practice authorized on the basis of that certificate illegal. It is the duty of the board of
land surveyors to notify every person registered under this chapter of the date of the expiration of
his or her certificate and the amount of the fee required for its renewal. That notice shall be
mailed delivered, electronically or otherwise, to the registrant, at his or her last-known address, at
least one month in advance of the date of the expiration of that certificate, and it is the
responsibility of each person registered under this chapter to renew his or her certificate of
registration prior to its expiration. Renewal may be effected at any time prior to, or during the
month of, June of each odd-numbered year (meaning biennially) commencing in year 2003
(provided, that any said renewal shall be post-marked no later than June 30th in that year in order
to be valid), or at any other time that the law provides for, by the payment of the fee required by
this chapter. Renewal of an expired certificate may be effected, with the director's approval,
within a period of four (4) years,; provided, that evidence is submitted to the board of land
surveyors attesting to the continued competence and good character of the applicant. The amount
to be paid for the renewal of a certificate after the date of expiration shall be double the regular
fee. In the event renewal is not made before the end of the second year, the board of land
surveyors may require any re-examination that it deems appropriate and the amount to be paid for
the renewal shall be as stated in this section.
      (f) Lapsed certificates. - Any registrant who allows his or her certificate of registration to
lapse for more than four (4) years, shall reapply for registration in accordance with the
requirements stated in § 5-8.1-9.
      (g) Any party aggrieved by the board's decision regarding license issuance or renewal
may, within ten (10) days of the decision, appeal the matter to the director by submitting a written
request for a formal hearing to be conducted in accordance with the provisions of § 5-8.1-15.
     5-8.1-13. Board of registration for professional land surveyors -- Permitted
practices. -- (a) Exemption clause. - This chapter shall not be construed to prevent or to affect:
      (1) Employees and subordinates. - The work of an employee or subordinate of a person
holding a certificate of registration under this chapter; provided, that the work does not include
final land surveying work or decisions and is done under the direct supervision of, or checked by,
a person holding a certificate of registration issued under this chapter.
      (2) Federal employees. - The practice by officers and employees of the government of
the United States while engaged within this state in the practice of land surveying for the
government on property owned by the federal government; provided, that no right to practice land
surveying accrues to those persons as to any other land surveying work. The right to registration
after government employment shall not be granted except under the provisions prescribed under §
5-8.1-11.
      (3) Other professions. - The practice of engineering, architecture, or landscape
architecture.
      (b) Sole proprietorship, partnership, limited-liability partnership, corporate, and limited-
liability company practice.
      (1) The practice, or offer to practice, land surveying, as defined by this chapter, by sole
proprietorship, partnership, limited-liability partnership, corporation, or limited-liability
company, subsequently referred to as the "firm", through individuals is permitted; provided, that
the individuals are in direct control of that practice; exercise personal supervision of all personnel
who act in behalf of the firm in professional and technical matters; and are registered under the
provisions of this chapter; and provided, that the firm has been issued a certificate of
authorization by the board of land surveyors.
      (2) Within one year after the enactment of this chapter [July 12, 1990], every firm must
obtain a certificate of authorization from the board and those individuals in direct control of the
practice and who exercise direct supervision of all personnel who act in behalf of the firm in
professional and technical matters must be registered with the board. The certificate of
authorization shall be issued by the board upon satisfaction of the provisions of this chapter and
the payment of an annual fee not to exceed sixty dollars ($60).
      (3) It is the intent of the board of registration to establish that the professional land
surveyor is responsible for land surveying services.
      (4) Every firm desiring a certificate of authorization must file with the board an
application for the certificate on a form provided by the board. A separate form provided by the
board shall be filed with each renewal of the certificate of authorization, and within thirty (30)
days of the time any information previously filed with the board has changed, is no longer true or
valid, or has been revised for any reason. If, in its judgment, the information contained on the
application and renewal form is satisfactory and complete, the board shall issue a certificate of
authorization for the firm to practice land surveying in this state.
      (5) No firm that has been granted a certificate of authorization by the board of land
surveyors is relieved of responsibility for the conduct or acts of its agents, employees, partners (if
a partnership or a limited-liability partnership), officers or directors (if a corporation), or
members or managers (if a limited-liability company) because of its compliance with the
provisions of this section. No individual practicing land-surveying under the provisions of this
chapter is relieved of responsibility for land surveying services performed by reason of his or her
employment or other relationship with a firm holding a certificate of authorization as
subsequently described. In the event of unexpected death, retirement, dismissal, or any other
occasion where an entity has one person who is a registered land surveyor, and that person no
longer can continue in the operation of the entity, then the board of registration may waive certain
requirements for a certificate of authorization, for a period of not longer than forty-five (45)
days,; provided that the entity retains a person who is a registered professional land surveyor to
review and pursue the duties of surveying that are required under this chapter.
      (6) A land surveyor may not, for the purposes of this section, be designated as being in
responsible charge on more than two (2) certificates of authorization.
      (7) Certificates of authorization shall be treated for all purposes hereunder, including, but
not limited to, renewal, expiration and lapsing, as previously provided for certificates of
registration in section 5-8.1-10; provided, however, that renewal may be effected at any time
prior to or during the month of June of each even-numbered year (meaning biennially)
commencing in year 2004.
      (8) Limited-liability partnerships, corporations, and limited-liability companies shall
submit a copy of their articles of incorporation, articles of organization or certificate of
registration in order to obtain a certificate of authorization from the board of land surveyors.
      (9) Corporations, other than those organized under chapter 5.1 of title 7, partnerships,
and sole proprietorships practicing in this state prior to July 12, 1990, shall fully comply with the
provisions of this section within one year of that date.
      (10) Effective one year from July 1, 1990, the secretary of state shall not issue a
certificate of incorporation or certificate of organization or certificate of registration to any
applicant, or a registration as a foreign corporation, limited liability partnership or limited liability
company, to any firm, which includes among the objectives for which it is being established any
of the words "surveyor", "surveying" or any modification or derivation of those words, unless the
board of land surveyors has issued for the applicant a certificate of authorization or a letter
indicating the eligibility of the applicant to receive the certificate. The firm applying shall supply
the certificate or letter from the board with its application for incorporation or registration as a
foreign corporation, limited liability partnership or limited liability company.
      (c) Land surveyor previously registered. - Each land surveyor holding a certificate of
registration, and each land surveyor-in-training under the laws of this state as previously in effect,
shall be deemed registered as a land surveyor or land surveyor-in-training as appropriate under
this chapter.
      (d) This section does not exempt the political subdivisions of the state, such as county,
city, or town, or legally constituted boards, districts, or commissions, from obtaining a certificate
of authorization from the board of registration when applicable.
     SECTION 3. Chapter 5-84 of the General Laws entitled "Division of Design
Professionals" is hereby amended by adding thereto the following section:
     5-84-7. Electronic applications for certificates of authorization. -- All applications to
the division of design professionals for certificates of authorization shall be submitted
electronically through the department's electronic-licensing system, unless special permission to
apply in paper format is requested by the applicant and granted by the director.
     SECTION 4. This act shall take effect upon passage.
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LC004967/SUB A
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