Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas Senate Bill SB1259 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		By: Nichols S.B. No. 1259
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3		-
	2	+	(In the Senate - Filed February 13, 2025;
	3	+	February 28, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on
	4	+	Business & Commerce; March 31, 2025, reported adversely, with
	5	+	favorable Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 10,
	6	+	Nays 0; March 31, 2025, sent to printer.)
	7	+	Click here to see the committee vote
	8	+	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR S.B. No. 1259 By: Nichols
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6	11		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
7	12		AN ACT
8	13		relating to the regulation of land surveyors by the Texas Board of
9	14		Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors.
10	15		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
11	16		SECTION 1. Section 1001.216, Occupations Code, is amended
12	17		by adding Subsections (a-1) and (a-2) to read as follows:
13	18		(a-1) The advisory committee appointed under Subsection (a)
14	19		may, on its own initiative or at the request of any interested
15	20		person, prepare a written report or recommendation to the board on
16	21		any surveying-related subject regulated by the board.
17	22		(a-2) The advisory committee appointed under Subsection (a)
18	23		shall maintain a written public record of each subject discussed
19	24		and action taken at the committee's meetings.
20	25		SECTION 2. Section 1001.601(a), Occupations Code, is
21	26		amended to read as follows:
22	27		(a) On its own initiative or at the request of any
23	28		interested person, the board shall prepare a written advisory
24	29		opinion about:
25	30		(1) an interpretation of this chapter or Chapter 1071;
26	31		or
27	32		(2) the application of this chapter or Chapter 1071 to
28	33		a person in regard to a specified existing or hypothetical factual
29	34		situation.
30	35		SECTION 3. Sections 1071.253(a) and (c), Occupations Code,
31	36		are amended to read as follows:
32	37		(a) An applicant for a surveyor-in-training certificate
33	38		must:
34	39		(1) have earned a bachelor of science degree in
35	40		surveying from an accredited institution of higher education;
36	41		(2) have:
37	42		(A) earned a bachelor's degree from an accredited
38	43		institution of higher education that included at least 32 semester
39	44		hours in a combination of courses acceptable to the board in:
40	45		(i) land surveying [civil engineering];
41	46		(ii) civil engineering [land surveying];
42	47		(iii) mathematics;
43	48		(iv) photogrammetry;
44	49		(v) forestry;
45	50		(vi) land law; or
46	51		(vii) the physical sciences; and
47	52		(B) completed at least one year of experience
48	53		acceptable to the board in delegated responsible charge as a
49	54		subordinate to a registered professional land surveyor actively
50	55		engaged in professional surveying;
51	56		(3) have:
52	57		(A) earned an associate degree in surveying from
53	58		an accredited institution of higher education; and
54	59		(B) completed at least two years of experience
55	60		acceptable to the board in delegated responsible charge as a
56	61		subordinate to a registered professional land surveyor actively
57	62		engaged in professional surveying;
58	63		(4) have:
59	64		(A) successfully completed a course of
60	65		instruction consisting of 32 semester hours in land surveying or
61	66		the equivalent number of semester hours in board-approved courses
62	67		related to surveying; and
63	68		(B) completed at least two years of experience
64	69		acceptable to the board in delegated responsible charge as a
65	70		subordinate to a registered professional land surveyor actively
66	71		engaged in professional surveying; or
67	72		(5) have:
68	73		(A) graduated from an accredited high school;
69	74		(B) completed at least four years of experience
70	75		acceptable to the board in delegated responsible charge as a
71	76		subordinate to a registered professional land surveyor actively
72	77		engaged in professional surveying; and
73	78		(C) provided evidence satisfactory to the board
74	79		that the applicant is self-educated in professional surveying.
75	80		(c) On proof that an applicant meets the qualifications
76	81		prescribed by Subsection (a) and has passed the fundamentals of
77	82		surveying examination prescribed by the board under Section
78	83		1071.256, the [The] board shall issue a surveyor-in-training
79	84		certificate to the [an] applicant [who passes the applicable parts
80	85		of the examination taken under Subsection (b)]. The certificate is
81	86		valid for eight years.
82	87		SECTION 4. Sections 1071.254(a) and (b), Occupations Code,
83	88		are amended to read as follows:
84	89		(a) An applicant for registration as a registered
85	90		professional land surveyor must:
86	91		(1) hold a certificate as a surveyor-in-training;
87	92		(2) have passed the principles and practice of
88	93		surveying examination prescribed by the board under Section
89	94		1071.256;
90	95		(3) [(2)] have at least two years of experience
91	96		satisfactory to the board as a surveyor-in-training in performing
92	97		surveying in delegated responsible charge as a subordinate to a
93	98		surveyor registered or licensed to engage in the practice of
94	99		surveying in this state or in another state having registration or
95	100		licensing requirements equivalent to the requirements of this
96	101		state; and
97	102		(4) [(3)] have earned an associate or bachelor's
98	103		degree from an accredited institution of higher education that
99	104		included at least 32 semester hours in a combination of courses
100	105		acceptable to the board in:
101	106		(A) land surveying [civil engineering];
102	107		(B) civil engineering [land surveying];
103	108		(C) mathematics;
104	109		(D) photogrammetry;
105	110		(E) forestry;
106	111		(F) land law; or
107	112		(G) the physical sciences.
108	113		(b) An applicant is entitled to registration as a registered
109	114		professional land surveyor if the applicant meets the
110	115		qualifications prescribed by Subsection (a) and is approved to take
111	116		and passes the required sections of the Texas specific surveying
112	117		examination prescribed under Section 1071.256.
113	118		SECTION 5. Section 1071.256, Occupations Code, is amended
114	119		by adding Subsections (a-1) and (b-1) and amending Subsection (b)
115	120		to read as follows:
116	121		(a-1) The board by rule shall prescribe the fundamentals of
117	122		surveying examination required for an applicant for certification
118	123		as a surveyor-in-training under Section 1071.253.
119	124		(b) The board by rule shall prescribe the principles and
120	125		practice of surveying examination required for an applicant for
121	126		registration as a registered professional land surveyor under
122	127		Section 1071.254 [must be developed and given as provided by this
123	128		chapter under board rules designed] to determine the knowledge and
124	129		ability of the applicant.
125	130		(b-1) The board by rule shall prescribe the Texas specific
126	131		surveying examination required for an applicant for registration as
127	132		a registered professional land surveyor under Section 1071.254.
128	133		SECTION 6. Section 1071.253(b), Occupations Code, is
129	134		repealed.
130	135		SECTION 7. As soon as practicable after the effective date
131	136		of this Act, the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land
132	137		Surveyors shall adopt the rules necessary to implement the changes
133	138		in law made by this Act.
134	139		SECTION 8. Sections 1071.253 and 1071.254, Occupations
135	140		Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to an application for,
136	141		respectively, a surveyor-in-training certificate or registration
137	142		as a registered professional land surveyor filed with the Texas
138	143		Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors on or after the
139	144		effective date of this Act. An application filed before the
140	145		effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the
141	146		date the application was filed, and the former law is continued in
142	147		effect for that purpose.
143	148		SECTION 9. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
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