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HB1720
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
H.B. NO.
1720
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2026
STATE OF HAWAII
A BILL FOR AN ACT
relating
to professional engineers
.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF HAWAII:
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SECTION
1
.
�
The legislature finds that the counties
suffer from a shortage of licensed professional engineers serving in their
various planning departments, contributing to lengthy plan review periods.
�
The legislature further finds that there are
certain higher-level engineering positions in county planning departments that
require candidates to be licensed as professional engineers.
�
For example, in the department of planning
and permitting of the city and county of Honolulu, promotion to the position of
supervisory engineer requires a candidate to be licensed as a professional
engineer.
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The legislature additionally
finds that in order for candidates to be eligible for professional engineering
licensure, they must have a certain amount of lawful experience in engineering
work.
�
Currently, compliance review of
plans for construction does not qualify as lawful experience in engineering
work.
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However, this is the core
responsibility of many engineers in county planning departments, meaning the
experience they accumulate does not count toward lawful experience in
engineering work for the purposes of professional licensure.
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This may present a disincentive to potential
applicants from seeking employment opportunities in county planning departments
and encourage current employees to move to the private sector.
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Accordingly,
the purpose of this Act is to permit county employees to use their experience
in code compliance review to meet the lawful experience in engineering work
requirements needed for licensure as a professional engineer.
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SECTION
2
.
�
Section 464-8,
Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as
follows:
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"(a)
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No person shall be eligible for licensure as
a professional engineer unless:
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(1)
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The person is the
holder of an unexpired license issued to the person by any jurisdiction,
domestic or foreign, in which the requirements for licensure at the time the
person was first licensed are of a standard satisfactory to the board; provided
that if the board is in doubt as to whether the standards are satisfactory, or
as to whether the holder was required to fully comply with them, it shall
require that the holder successfully pass a written examination, prescribed by
the board and designed to test the holder's knowledge, skill, and competency in
the profession of engineering;
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(2)
�
The person [
is
the
]
:
���������
(A)
�
Is
the
holder of a master's degree in engineering from an institution of
higher education approved by the board; [
is
]
���������
(B)
�
Is
a graduate of a school or college approved by the board as of satisfactory
standing and has completed an engineering curriculum of four years or more; [
has
had
]
���������
(C)
�
Has
three years of full-time lawful experience in engineering work of a character
satisfactory to the board, or part-time experience [
which
]
that
the board finds to be the equivalent thereof; and [
has
]
���������
(D)
�
Has
successfully passed a written examination, prescribed by the board and designed
to test the person's knowledge, skill, and competency in the profession of
engineering;
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(3)
�
The person [
is
the
]
:
���������
(A)
�
Is
the
holder of a master's degree in engineering from an institution of
higher education approved by the board; [
has had
]
���������
(B)
�
Has
four years of full-time lawful experience in engineering work of a character
satisfactory to the board, or part-time experience [
which
]
that
the board finds to be the equivalent thereof; and [
has
]
���������
(C)
�
Has
successfully passed a written examination, prescribed by the board and designed
to test the person's knowledge, skill, and competency in the profession of
engineering;
����
(4)
�
The person [
is
a
]
:
���������
(A)
�
Is
a
graduate of a school or college approved by the board as of satisfactory
standing, and has completed an engineering curriculum of four years or more; [
has
had
]
���������
(B)
�
Has
four years of full-time lawful experience in engineering work of a character
satisfactory to the board, or part-time experience [
which
]
that
the board finds to be the equivalent thereof; and [
has
]
���������
(C)
�
Has
successfully passed a written examination, prescribed by the board and designed
to test the person's knowledge, skill, and competency in the profession of
engineering;
����
(5)
�
The person [
is
a
]
:
���������
(A)
�
Is
a
graduate of a school or college approved by the board as of satisfactory
standing, and has completed an engineering technology or arts and science
curriculum of four years or more; [
has had
]
���������
(B)
�
Has
eight years of full-time lawful experience in engineering work of a character
satisfactory to the board, or part-time experience [
which
]
that
the board finds to be the equivalent thereof; and [
has
]
���������
(C)
�
Has
successfully passed a written examination, prescribed by the board and designed
to test the person's knowledge, skill, and competency in the profession of
engineering; or
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(6)
�
The person has [
had
twelve
]
:
���������
(A)
�
Twelve
years of full-time lawful experience in engineering work of a character
satisfactory to the board, or part-time experience [
which
]
that
the board finds to be the equivalent thereof; and [
has successfully
]
���������
(B)
�
Successfully
passed a written examination, prescribed by the board and designed to test the
person's knowledge, skill, and competency in the profession of engineering.
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For purposes of this subsection,
"lawful experience in engineering work" for county employees includes
code compliance review of plans for construction applicable to the specific
engineering field.
"
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SECTION 3.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.
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SECTION 4.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.
INTRODUCED BY:
_____________________________
Report Title:
Professional
Engineers; County Employees; Licensure; Qualifications; Lawful Experience in
Engineering Work; Code Compliance Review of Plans
Description:
Clarifies
that a county employee's code compliance review of plans for construction
applicable to the specific engineering field is considered lawful experience in
engineering work for purposes of professional engineering licensure.
The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.