Amended in Senate April 20, 2016

Amended in Senate April 7, 2016

Senate Bill No. 1085

Introduced by Senator Roth

February 17, 2016

An act to begin insert amend Section 7841.1 of, and to end insert add Sections 6795.2, 7881.5, and 8801.1 begin delete to end delete begin insert to, end insert the Business and Professions Code, relating to professions and vocations.

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST

SB 1085, as amended, Roth. Professional engineers: geologists: land surveyors.

Existing law makes the Board for Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and Geologists responsible for the certification, licensure, and regulation of the practice of professional engineering, the practice of professional geologists and geophysicists, and the practice of professional land surveyors. begin insert Except for an applicant for a geophysicist license, existing law requires these applicants for a certificate or license to complete an examination that tests knowledge of state laws, as provided. end insert Existing law subjects these certificates and licenses to renewal and requires the holder of the certificate or license to apply for renewal on a form prescribed by the board and pay a prescribed fee, as provided.

This bill would additionally require an applicant for renewal to complete a board-administered assessment, which includes questions to reinforce the certificate holder’s or licenseholder’s knowledge of laws applicable to his or her practice area. The bill would make the failure to complete the assessment within a specified period of time a cause for disciplinary action. begin insert The bill would also require an applicant for a geophysicist license to complete an examination that tests knowledge of state laws, as provided. end insert

Vote: majority. Appropriation: no. Fiscal committee: yes. State-mandated local program: no.

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.  

Section 6795.2 is added to the Business and
Professions Code, to read:

6795.2.  

(a) At the time of renewal specified in Section 6795
or 6796, the board shall administer an assessment of the certificate
holder that includes questions to reinforce the certificate holder’s
knowledge of state laws and the board’s rules and regulations
relating to the practice of professional engineers. Failure to
complete this assessment within 60 days after the date of expiration
of the certificate shall constitute a cause for disciplinary action
under Section 6775, but shall not affect the renewal of the
certificate.

(b) The crime in subdivision (j) of Section 6787 shall not apply
to this section.

begin insert

begin insert SEC. 2. end insert   

end insert

begin insert Section 7841.1 of the end insert begin insert Business and Professions Code end insert

begin insert is amended to read: end insert

7841.1.  

An applicant for licensure as a geophysicist shall have
all of the following qualifications. This section shall not apply to
applicants for licensure as geologists.

(a) Not have committed any acts or crimes constituting grounds
for denial of licensure under Section 480.

(b) Meet one of the following educational requirements fulfilled
at a school or university whose curricula meet criteria established
by rules of the board.

(1) Graduation with a major in a geophysical science or any
other discipline that, in the opinion of the board, is relevant to
geophysics.

(2) Completion of a combination of at least 30 semester hours,
or the equivalent, in courses that, in the opinion of the board, are
relevant to geophysics. At least 24 semester hours, or the
equivalent, shall be in the third or fourth year, or graduate courses.

(c) Have at least seven years of professional geophysical work
that shall include either a minimum of three years of professional
geophysical work under the supervision of a professional
geophysicist, except that prior to July 1, 1973, professional
geophysical work shall qualify under this subdivision if it is under
the supervision of a qualified geophysicist, or a minimum of five
years’ experience in responsible charge of professional geophysical
work. Professional geophysical work does not include the routine
maintenance or operation of geophysical instruments, or, even if
carried out under the responsible supervision of a professional
geophysicist, the routine reduction or plotting of geophysical
observations.

Each year of undergraduate study in the geophysical sciences
referred to in this section shall count as one-half year of training
up to a maximum of two years, and each year of graduate study
or research counts as a year of training.

Teaching in the geophysical sciences referred to in this section
at a college level shall be credited year for year toward meeting
the requirement in this category, provided that the total teaching
experience includes six semester units per semester, or equivalent
if on the quarter system, of third or fourth year or graduate courses.

Credit for undergraduate study, graduate study, and teaching,
individually, or in any combination thereof, shall in no case exceed
a total of four years towards meeting the requirements for at least
seven years of professional geophysical work as set forth above.

The ability of the applicant shall have been demonstrated by his
or her having performed the work in a responsible position, as the
term “responsible position” is defined in regulations adopted by
the board. The adequacy of the required supervision and experience
shall be determined by the board in accordance with standards set
forth in regulations adopted by it.

(d) Successfully pass a written examination begin insert that shall test the
applicant’s knowledge of state laws, rules, and regulations, and
of the principles and practices of geophysics within this state. The
board shall administer the test on the state laws and the board’s
rules and regulations as a separate part of the examination for
licensure as a geophysicist end insert .

begin delete SEC. 2. end delete

begin insert SEC. 3. end insert   

Section 7881.5 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, to read:

7881.5.  

(a) At the time of renewal specified in Section 7880
or 7881, the board shall administer an assessment of the certificate
holder that includes questions to reinforce the certificate holder’s
knowledge of state laws and the board’s rules and regulations
relating to the practice of professional geologists and geophysicists.
Failure to complete this assessment within 60 days after the date
of expiration of the certificate shall constitute a cause for
disciplinary action under Section 7860, but shall not affect the
renewal of the certificate.

(b) The crime in subdivision (h) of Section 7872 shall not apply
to this section.

begin delete SEC. 3. end delete

begin insert SEC. 4. end insert   

Section 8801.1 is added to the Business and Professions
Code, to read:

8801.1.  

(a) At the time of renewal specified in Section 8801
or 8802, the board shall administer an assessment of the
licenseholder that includes questions to reinforce the
licenseholder’s knowledge of state laws and the board’s rules and
regulations regulating the practice of professional land surveyors.
Failure to complete this assessment within 60 days after the date
of expiration of the license shall constitute a cause for disciplinary
action under Section 8780, but shall not affect the renewal of the
license.

(b) The crime in subdivision (j) of Section 8792 shall not apply
to this section.