LAND SURVEYOR
Present law requires the state board of examiners for land surveyors ("board") to consider and evaluate a land surveyor applicant's qualifications based upon (i) the applicant’s education, technical, and land surveying experience; (ii) exhibits of land surveying projects with which the applicant has been associated; (iii) recommendations and character references; and (iv) the payment by the applicant of a fee set by the board in accordance with existing law with the approval of the commissioner of commerce and insurance.
However, present law prohibits a person from being eligible for registration who, amongst other criteria, does not have a high school education diploma or a high school equivalency credential approved by the state board of education. This bill revises this provision to, instead, prohibit a person from being eligible for registration who does not have a high school education diploma or a general equivalency diploma (GED®).
LAND SURVEYOR INTERN (PLSIT)
In order to be certified as a land surveyor intern (PLSIT), present law requires an applicant to, amongst other criteria, satisfy one of the following requirements related to education and experience:
(1) Obtain a baccalaureate degree from a surveying or surveying technology curriculum of four or more years, approved by the board;
(2) Obtain a baccalaureate degree from a science, engineering or technology curriculum of four or more years related to the practice of land surveying, approved by the board, with a minimum of 24 semester hours of board-approved coursework in the surveying sciences;
(3) Obtain a baccalaureate degree from a non-surveying related curriculum of four or more years, approved by the board, plus an additional 36 semester hours of board-approved coursework in the surveying sciences;
(4) Obtain an associate degree in surveying technology or a related science, engineering or technical field, approved by the board, with a minimum of 30 semester hours of board-approved coursework in the surveying sciences, and a record of four years of progressive practical experience, two years of which must have been under the direct supervision of a practicing professional land surveyor; or
(5) Obtain a high school education diploma or a high school equivalency credential approved by the state board of education with a record satisfactory to the board of 10 years of progressive practical experience, six years of which must have been under the direct supervision of a practicing professional land surveyor;
The bill revises (4) above by, instead, requiring all four years of progressive practical experience to be under the direct supervision of a practicing professional land surveyor, instead of just years as required by present law. Additionally, this bill revises (5) above by, instead, requiring an applicant to obtain a high school education diploma or a general equivalency diploma (GED®) with a record satisfactory to the board of only six years of progressive practical experience under the direct supervision of a practicing professional land surveyor.
PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYOR
In order to be licensed as a professional land surveyor, present law requires an applicant to, among other criteria, comply with the requirements of the law regarding land surveyors' applications for registration. This bill rewrites this provision to, instead, require an applicant to pass the Principles and Practice of Land Surveying (PS) examination and the Tennessee State Jurisdictional examination.
Present law also requires an applicant to, amongst other criteria, satisfy one of the following requirements:
(A) Obtain a baccalaureate degree from a surveying or surveying technology curriculum of four or more years, approved by the board, and a record satisfactory to the board of two years of progressive practical experience after the applicant passes the Fundamentals of Land Surveying examination, one year of which must have been in responsible charge of duties performed under a practicing professional land surveyor. An applicant who passes the Principles and Practice of Land Surveying examination and the Tennessee State Jurisdictional examination must be granted licensure as a professional land surveyor;
(B) Obtain a baccalaureate degree from a science, engineering or technology curriculum of four or more years related to the practice of land surveying, approved by the board, with a minimum of 24 semester hours of board-approved coursework in the surveying sciences, and a record satisfactory to the board of two years of progressive practical experience after the applicant passes the Fundamentals of Land Surveying examination, one year of which must have been in responsible charge of duties performed under a practicing professional land surveyor. An applicant who passes the Principles and Practice of Land Surveying examination and the Tennessee State Jurisdictional examination must be granted licensure as a professional land surveyor;
(C) Obtain a baccalaureate degree from a nonsurveying related curriculum of four or more years, approved by the board, plus an additional 36 semester hours of board-approved coursework in the surveying sciences, and a record satisfactory to the board of two years of progressive practical experience after the applicant passes the Fundamentals of Land Surveying examination, one year of which must have been in responsible charge of duties under a practicing professional land surveyor. An applicant who passes the Principles and Practice of Land Surveying examination and the Tennessee State Jurisdictional examination must be granted licensure as a professional land surveyor;
(D) Obtain an associate degree in surveying technology or a related science, engineering or technical field approved by the board with a minimum of 30 semester hours of board-approved coursework in the surveying sciences, and a record satisfactory to the board of four years of progressive practical experience, three years of which must have been in responsible charge of duties performed under a practicing professional land surveyor if the applicant passes the Fundamentals of Land Surveying examination on or before June 30, 2016, or if the applicant does not pass the Fundamentals of Land Surveying on or before June 30, 2016, a record satisfactory to the board of six years of progressive practical experience after the applicant passes the Fundamentals of Land Surveying examination, four years of which must have been in responsible charge of duties under a practicing professional land surveyor. An applicant who passes the Principles and Practice of Land Surveying examination and the Tennessee State Jurisdictional examination must be granted licensure as a professional land surveyor; or
(E) Comply with the requirements of provision (5) above as approved by the board and pass the Fundamentals of Land Surveying examination on or before June 30, 2017, or if the applicant does not pass the Fundamentals of Land Surveying examination on or before June 30, 2017, obtain six years of progressive practical experience which must have been in responsible charge of the duties performed under a professional land surveyor after the applicant passes the Fundamentals of Land Surveying examination, plus an additional 12 hours of board-approved coursework in the surveying sciences. An applicant who passes the Principles and Practice of Land Surveying examination and the Tennessee State Jurisdictional examination must be granted licensure as a professional land surveyor.
This bill revises the criteria in (A)-(E) above to, instead, require an applicant to, satisfy one of the following requirements:
(A) Obtain a baccalaureate degree from a science, engineering, or technology curriculum of four or more years related to the practice of land surveying, approved by the board, with a minimum of 24 semester hours of board-approved coursework in the surveying sciences, obtain the PLSIT certification, and obtain a record satisfactory to the board of no less than a total of two years of progressive practical experience. The progressive practical experience must have been obtained while in the responsible charge of duties performed under a practicing professional land surveyor;
(B) Obtain a baccalaureate degree from a non-surveying related curriculum of four or more years, approved by the board, with a minimum of 36 semester hours of board-approved coursework in the surveying sciences, obtain the PLSIT certification, and obtain a record satisfactory to the board of no less than a total of two years of progressive practical experience. The progressive practical experience must have been obtained while in the responsible charge of duties performed under a practicing professional land surveyor;
(C) Obtain a baccalaureate degree from a nonsurveying related curriculum of four or more years, approved by the board, plus an additional 36 semester hours of board-approved coursework in the surveying sciences, and a record satisfactory to the board of two years of progressive practical experience after the applicant passes the Fundamentals of Land Surveying examination, one year of which must have been in responsible charge of duties under a practicing professional land surveyor. An applicant who passes the Principles and Practice of Land Surveying examination and the Tennessee State Jurisdictional examination must be granted licensure as a professional land surveyor;
(D) Obtain an associate degree in surveying technology or a related science, engineering, or technical field, approved by the board, with a minimum of 30 semester hours of board-approved coursework in the surveying sciences, obtain the PLSIT certification, and obtain a record satisfactory to the board of no less than a total of six years of progressive practical experience. The progressive practical experience must have been obtained while in the responsible charge of duties performed under a practicing professional land surveyor; or
(E) Obtain a high school education diploma or a general equivalency diploma (GED®) with a minimum of 18 hours of board-approved coursework in the surveying sciences, obtain the PLSIT certification and obtain a record satisfactory to the board of no less than a total of 10 years of progressive practical experience. The progressive practical experience must have been obtained while in the responsible charge of duties performed under a practicing professional land surveyor.

Statutes affected:
Introduced: 62-18-109