Relating to the regulation of land surveyors by the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

89(R) HB 2204 - House Committee Report version - Bill Text

89R21129 BEE-F

By: Bumgarner

H.B. No. 2204

Substitute the following for H.B. No. 2204:

By: Phelan

C.S.H.B. No. 2204

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the regulation of land surveyors by the Texas Board of

Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 1001.216, Occupations Code, is amended

by adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) to read as follows:

(a-1)

The advisory committee appointed under Subsection (a)

may, on its own initiative or at the request of any interested

person, prepare a written report or recommendation to the board on

any surveying-related subject regulated by the board.

(a-2)

The advisory committee appointed under Subsection (a)

shall maintain a written public record of each subject discussed

and action taken at the committee's meetings.

SECTION 2. Section 1001.601(a), Occupations Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(a) On its own initiative or at the request of any

interested person, the board shall prepare a written advisory

opinion about:

(1) an interpretation of this chapter
or Chapter 1071
;

or

(2) the application of this chapter
or Chapter 1071
to

a person in regard to a specified existing or hypothetical factual

situation.

SECTION 3. Sections 1071.253(a) and (c), Occupations Code,

are amended to read as follows:

(a) An applicant for a surveyor-in-training certificate

must:

(1) have earned a bachelor of science degree in

surveying from an accredited institution of higher education;

(2) have:

(A) earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited

institution of higher education that included at least 32 semester

hours in a combination of courses acceptable to the board in:

(i)
land surveying
[
civil engineering
];

(ii)
civil engineering
[
land surveying
];

(iii) mathematics;

(iv) photogrammetry;

(v) forestry;

(vi) land law; or

(vii) the physical sciences; and

(B) completed at least one year of experience

acceptable to the board in delegated responsible charge as a

subordinate to a registered professional land surveyor actively

engaged in professional surveying;

(3) have:

(A) earned an associate degree in surveying from

an accredited institution of higher education; and

(B) completed at least two years of experience

acceptable to the board in delegated responsible charge as a

subordinate to a registered professional land surveyor actively

engaged in professional surveying;

(4) have:

(A) successfully completed a course of

instruction consisting of 32 semester hours in land surveying or

the equivalent number of semester hours in board-approved courses

related to surveying; and

(B) completed at least two years of experience

acceptable to the board in delegated responsible charge as a

subordinate to a registered professional land surveyor actively

engaged in professional surveying; or

(5) have:

(A) graduated from an accredited high school;

(B) completed at least four years of experience

acceptable to the board in delegated responsible charge as a

subordinate to a registered professional land surveyor actively

engaged in professional surveying; and

(C) provided evidence satisfactory to the board

that the applicant is self-educated in professional surveying.

(c)
On proof that an applicant meets the qualifications

prescribed by Subsection (a) and has passed the fundamentals of

surveying examination prescribed by the board under Section

1071.256, the
[
The
] board shall issue a surveyor-in-training

certificate to
the
[
an
] applicant [
who passes the applicable parts

of the examination taken under Subsection (b)
]. The certificate is

valid for eight years.

SECTION 4. Sections 1071.254(a) and (b), Occupations Code,

are amended to read as follows:

(a) An applicant for registration as a registered

professional land surveyor must:

(1) hold a certificate as a surveyor-in-training;

(2)

have passed the principles and practice of

surveying examination prescribed by the board under Section

1071.256;

(3)
[
(2)
] have at least two years of experience

satisfactory to the board as a surveyor-in-training in performing

surveying in delegated responsible charge as a subordinate to a

surveyor registered or licensed to engage in the practice of

surveying in this state or in another state having registration or

licensing requirements equivalent to the requirements of this

state; and

(4)
[
(3)
] have earned an associate or bachelor's

degree from an accredited institution of higher education that

included at least 32 semester hours in a combination of courses

acceptable to the board in:

(A)
land surveying
[
civil engineering
];

(B)
civil engineering
[
land surveying
];

(C) mathematics;

(D) photogrammetry;

(E) forestry;

(F) land law; or

(G) the physical sciences.

(b) An applicant is entitled to registration as a registered

professional land surveyor if the applicant meets the

qualifications prescribed by Subsection (a) and is approved to take

and passes the required sections of the
Texas specific surveying

examination prescribed under Section 1071.256.

SECTION 5. Section 1071.256, Occupations Code, is amended

by adding Subsections (a-1) and (b-1) and amending Subsection (b)

to read as follows:

(a-1)

The board by rule shall prescribe the fundamentals of

surveying examination required for an applicant for certification

as a surveyor-in-training under Section 1071.253.

(b) The
board by rule shall prescribe the principles and

practice of surveying
examination
required
for an applicant for

registration as a registered professional land surveyor
under

Section 1071.254
[
must be developed and given as provided by this

chapter under board rules designed
] to determine the knowledge and

ability of the applicant.

(b-1)

The board by rule shall prescribe the Texas specific

surveying examination required for an applicant for registration as

a registered professional land surveyor under Section 1071.254.

SECTION 6. Section 1071.253(b), Occupations Code, is

repealed.

SECTION 7. As soon as practicable after the effective date

of this Act, the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land

Surveyors shall adopt the rules necessary to implement the changes

in law made by this Act.

SECTION 8. Sections 1071.253 and 1071.254, Occupations

Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to an application for,

respectively, a surveyor-in-training certificate or registration

as a registered professional land surveyor filed with the Texas

Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors on or after the

effective date of this Act. An application filed before the

effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the

date the application was filed, and the former law is continued in

effect for that purpose.

SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.