GREEN SHEET REDIGEST
HB 713 2024 Regular Session Gadberry
SURVEYORS: Provides relative to the practice of land surveying and the practice of
engineering.
DIGEST
Present law provides the definition of "the practice of land surveying" to include the
measuring of areas, land surfaces, streams, bodies of water, and swamps for correct
determination and description, for the establishment, reestablishment, ascertainment, or
description of land boundaries, corners, divisions, distances, and directions, the plotting and
monumenting of lands and subdivisions thereof, and mapping and topographical work.
Present law provides that a person shall be construed to practice or offer to practice land
surveying who engages in land surveying and who by verbal claim, sign, advertisement,
letterhead, card, or in any other way represents himself to be a land surveyor, or who
represents himself as able to perform or who does perform any land surveying service or
work, or any other service designated by the practitioner which is recognized as land
surveying.
Proposed law removes present law.
Proposed law defines "the practice of land surveying" to mean providing, or offering to
provide, professional services using such sciences as mathematics, geodesy, and
photogrammetry, and involving both of the following:
(1) The making of geometric measurements and gathering related information pertaining
to the physical or legal features of the earth, improvements on the earth, the space
above, on, or below the earth, or within bodies of water, whether the making of
measurements or the gathering of information for the providing of these services is
accomplished by conventional ground measurements, by photography, by Light
Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), by global positioning via satellites, or by a
combination of any of these methods for the establishment, reestablishment,
ascertainment, or description of land boundaries, corners, divisions, distances, and
directions, the plotting and monumenting of lands and subdivisions thereof.
(2) Providing, utilizing, or developing the same into survey products such as graphics,
data, maps, plans, reports, descriptions, or projects.
Proposed law provides that professional services include acts of consultation, investigation,
testimony, evaluation, expert technical testimony, planning, mapping, assembling, and
interpreting gathered measurements and information related to any one or more of the
following:
(1) Locating, relocating, establishing, reestablishing, or retracing property lines or
boundaries of any tract of land, road, right-of-way, servitude, or easement.
(2) Making any survey for the division, subdivision, or consolidation of any tract of land.
(3) Locating or laying out alignments, positions, or elevations for the construction of
fixed works, when the location of the fixed works has a direct relationship to a
property boundary.
(4) Determining, by the use of principles of land surveying, the position for any survey
monument, boundary or geodetic, or reference point, and establishing or replacing
any such monument or reference point.
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Prepared by Xavier Alexander.
(5) Creating, preparing, or modifying electronic, computerized, or other data, relative to
the performance of activities in proposed law.
Proposed law provides that a person shall be construed to practice land surveying if he does
any of the following:
(1) Engages in or holds himself out as able and entitled to practice land surveying.
(2) Represents himself to be a professional land surveyor by verbal claim, sign,
advertisement, letterhead, card, or in any other way.
(3) Through the use of some other title, implies that he is a professional land surveyor
or licensed by the board.
Present law provides the provisions of present law shall not be construed to prevent or to
affect certain practices or professions.
Proposed law retains present law and provides that present and proposed law shall not be
construed to prevent or to affect the following: Any other lawful practice when performed
for purposes other than the practice of land surveying, including but not limited to
photogrammetry, remote sensing, geographic information system or land information system
design or services, LIDAR, unmanned aerial system services, or geoscience services.
Proposed law adds that present and proposed law shall not be construed to prevent or to
affect the duties carried out by the Dept. of Agriculture and Forestry.
Present law defines "engineer" or "professional engineer" and "practice of engineering".
Proposed law deletes the definitions in present law and defines "engineer" or "professional
engineer" and "practice of engineering" to be the same as provided for in present law.
(Amends R.S. 37:682(14) and 711.2(4), (12), and (14); adds R.S. 37:702(8) and (9))
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Commerce to the
original bill:
1. Make technical changes.
2. Delete the definitions of "engineer"or "professional engineer" and the "practice
of engineering" in present law and add the definitions outlined in other present
law.
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Prepared by Xavier Alexander.
Summary of Amendments Adopted by Senate
Committee Amendments Proposed by Senate Committee on Commerce, Consumer
Protection, and International Affairs to the reengrossed bill
1. Specify in the definition of "practice of land surveying" that the making of
geometric and the gathering of certain related information is for the
establishment; reestablishment; ascertainment; or description of land boundaries;
corners; divisions; distance and directions; the plotting of land and subdivision
of the land.
2. Remove from the definition of "practice of land surveying" certain professional
services.
3. Remove certain activities to which the provisions of present law and proposed
law will not prevent or affect.
4. Makes technical changes.
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Prepared by Xavier Alexander.


Statutes affected:
HB713 Original: 37:682(14), 37:2(14)
HB713 Engrossed: 37:682(14), 37:2(4)
HB713 Reengrossed: 37:682(14), 37:2(4)