Florida Senate - 2025 SB 320 By Senator Gaetz 1-00570-25 2025320__ 1 A bill to be entitled 2 An act relating to licensure requirements for 3 surveyors and mappers; amending s. 472.013, F.S.; 4 conforming a provision to changes made by the act; 5 requiring the Board of Professional Surveyors and 6 Mappers to establish and administer the 1st Step 7 Florida Surveyors and Mappers Credentialing and 8 Licensing Protocol as an alternative pathway to 9 temporary licensure; providing requirements for 10 eligibility to take the surveyor and mapper licensure 11 examination under the protocol; providing for the 12 expiration of licenses granted pursuant to the 13 protocol; requiring the department to provide certain 14 notice to applicants; reenacting s. 472.015(4), F.S., 15 relating to licensure, to incorporate the amendment 16 made to s. 472.013, F.S., in a reference thereto; 17 providing an effective date. 18 19 Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida: 20 21 Section 1.Section 472.013, Florida Statutes, is amended to 22 read: 23 472.013Examinations;, prerequisites; alternative pathway 24 to licensure. 25 (1)A person desiring to be licensed as a surveyor and 26 mapper shall apply to the department for licensure. 27 (2)An applicant shall be entitled to take the licensure 28 examination to practice in this state as a surveyor and mapper 29 if the applicant is of good moral character and has satisfied 30 one of the following requirements or the requirements under 31 subsection (3): 32 (a)The applicant has received a bachelors degree, its 33 equivalent, or higher in surveying and mapping or a similarly 34 titled program, including, but not limited to, geomatics, 35 geomatics engineering, and land surveying, from a college or 36 university recognized by the board and has a specific experience 37 record of 4 or more years as a subordinate to a professional 38 surveyor and mapper in the active practice of surveying and 39 mapping, which experience is of a nature indicating that the 40 applicant was in responsible charge of the accuracy and 41 correctness of the surveying and mapping work performed. Work 42 experience acquired as a part of the education requirement may 43 not be construed as experience in responsible charge. 44 (b)The applicant has received a bachelors degree, its 45 equivalent, or higher in a course of study, other than in 46 surveying and mapping, at an accredited college or university 47 and has a specific experience record of 6 or more years as a 48 subordinate to a registered surveyor and mapper in the active 49 practice of surveying and mapping, 5 years of which shall be of 50 a nature indicating that the applicant was in responsible charge 51 of the accuracy and correctness of the surveying and mapping 52 work performed. The applicant must have completed a minimum of 53 25 semester hours from a college or university approved by the 54 board in surveying and mapping subjects or in any combination of 55 courses in civil engineering, surveying, mapping, mathematics, 56 photogrammetry, forestry, or land law and the physical sciences. 57 Any of the required 25 semester hours of study completed not as 58 a part of the bachelors degree, its equivalent, or higher may 59 be approved at the discretion of the board. Work experience 60 acquired as a part of the education requirement may not be 61 construed as experience in responsible charge. 62 (3)The Legislature recognizes that it is imperative that 63 this state meet the increasing demand for surveyors and mappers. 64 Therefore, as a substitute for the degree requirements to take 65 the exams for licensure as outlined in subsection (2), the board 66 shall establish and administer a certification and licensing 67 program known as the 1st Step Florida Surveyors and Mappers 68 Credentialing and Licensing Protocol to provide a temporary 69 alternative pathway to licensure. 70 (a)Beginning January 30, 2026, pursuant to the protocol, a 71 person desiring to be licensed as a surveyor and mapper who does 72 not meet the requirements imposed under subsection (2) may take 73 the licensure examination to practice in this state as a 74 surveyor and mapper if he or she is of good moral character and 75 both of the following requirements are met: 76 1.The applicant has paid the fees required under s. 77 472.011. 78 2.The applicant provides a letter of recommendation to the 79 department from his or her employer or a prospective employer, 80 provided that such employer or prospective employer is a 81 licensed land surveyor or mapper. 82 (b)Licensure granted pursuant to the protocol expires on 83 December 15, 2031. The department shall notify all persons who 84 apply for licensure under this subsection of this expiration 85 date and that they must meet the requirements imposed under 86 subsection (2) and be licensed under that subsection as a 87 condition of continuing to practice as a surveyor and mapper 88 after that date. 89 (c)This subsection is exempt from the prohibition on 90 licensure based solely on a passing score on the examination in 91 s. 472.015(3)(a). 92 (4)A person shall be entitled to take an examination for 93 the purpose of determining whether he or she is qualified as a 94 surveyor and mapper intern if: 95 (a)The person is in good standing in, or is a graduate of, 96 a bachelor degree program, its equivalent or higher, at an 97 accredited college or university and has obtained a minimum of 98 25 semester hours in surveying, mapping, mathematics, 99 photogrammetry, forestry, civil engineering, or land law and the 100 physical sciences, or any combination thereof; or 101 (b)The person has obtained, from an accredited college or 102 university, a minimum of 15 semester hours in surveying, 103 mapping, mathematics, photogrammetry, forestry, civil 104 engineering, or land law and the physical sciences, or any 105 combination thereof, and has a specific surveying and mapping 106 experience record of 2 or more years as a subordinate to a 107 registered surveyor and mapper. 108 109 This subsection may not be construed as a substitute for the 110 degree requirement to take the exams for licensure as outlined 111 in subsection (2). 112 (5)(4)The board shall adopt rules providing for the review 113 and approval of schools and colleges and the courses of study in 114 surveying and mapping in such schools and colleges. The rules 115 shall be based on the educational requirements for surveying and 116 mapping as defined in s. 472.005. The board may adopt rules 117 providing for the acceptance of the approval and accreditation 118 of schools and courses of study by a nationally accepted 119 accreditation organization. 120 (6)(a)(5)(a)Good moral character means a personal history 121 of honesty, fairness, and respect for the rights of others and 122 for the laws of this state and nation. 123 (b)The board may refuse to certify an applicant for 124 failure to satisfy this requirement only if: 125 1.There is a substantial connection between the lack of 126 good moral character of the applicant and the professional 127 responsibilities of a registered surveyor and mapper; and 128 2.The finding by the board of lack of good moral character 129 is supported by clear and convincing evidence. 130 (c)When an applicant is found to be unqualified for a 131 license because of a lack of good moral character, the board 132 shall furnish the applicant a statement containing the findings 133 of the board, a complete record of the evidence upon which the 134 determination was based, and a notice of the rights of the 135 applicant to a rehearing and appeal. 136 Section 2.For the purpose of incorporating the amendment 137 made by this act to section 472.013, Florida Statutes, in a 138 reference thereto, subsection (4) of section 472.015, Florida 139 Statutes, is reenacted to read: 140 472.015Licensure. 141 (4)The board shall certify for licensure any applicant who 142 satisfies the requirements of s. 472.013 and who has passed the 143 licensing examination. The board may refuse to certify any 144 applicant who has violated any of the provisions of s. 472.031. 145 Section 3.This act shall take effect July 1, 2025.