[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6674903,"mediaKeyId","2247833-c43c01096ea2f2ad32c902bf741a711f","parentId",2247833,"title","Board approves disciplinary actions including two-year revocation recommendation in related complaint","audioSeconds",1252,"startMs",5372000,"endMs",6624000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247833-c43c01096ea2f2ad32c902bf741a711f&start=5372&end=6624","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247833-c43c01096ea2f2ad32c902bf741a711f/thumbnail_5372000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6674903/Tennessee/Board-approves-disciplinary-actions-including-two-year-revocation-recommendation-in-related-complaint","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6674903-1f5891c59660ff8255d6c48e5dc5e9ba/orig.mp4?Expires=1770706296&Signature=i1TKh8xbr-8t9R-dh8lVwHTpgSltuH2dWNCBMlhZI3g5a23eo9bQwMCBlQx5t4d-lC7~ofLpUNyupnOWlJny-o9tBTxhIopGrJESFy2SeiHaoaR7zG1cdEAqTuLzHLu4ZcI39-ziasnPsYFi7~BpkwujTuAWESil8kELiHbwwJ-qcVI8VhYyMJ86YTVQHL2GXTyq0n38jIM9pKF7-~yKIXIAQzQswDUu2FfX4-l0B33uIgGEosn1A~vq4nbubmp8qvnDsHc9~IDbXPzXuC7v~g9tyOVewn3RQBQL2o21sBjWzkj8j0JDI5uh0bVbmecDAyYDUtRJ~u3F4M35HDm0Gw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Commerce & Insurance","date","2025-02-07T16:00:17.973Z","article","The Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners voted on four enforcement matters during its Feb. 6 meeting. Staff and legal counsel presented case summaries and the board approved counsel's recommendations in each matter.

A summary of board actions (Votes at a glance):

- Case 2024060281: Respondent had out-of-state discipline (providing engineering services without a required authorization); the respondent said the out-of-state sanction had been paid and reported. Board action: approved a letter of caution. (Motion passed by voice vote.)

- Case 2024062871: Complaint concerned a foundation inspection for a manufactured/mobile home; staff found inspection errors and inconsistencies with a subsequent home inspection. Board action: assessed a $500 civil penalty and required successful completion of the board's laws-and-rules exam. (Motion passed by voice vote.)

- Case 2024048291: Complaint raised allegations about sealed plans and intellectual-property disputes; the respondent represented that litigation was pending and the board had insufficient information. Board action: placed the matter into litigation monitoring and requested respondents provide additional documents within 45 days; board staff will revisit if the information is not provided. (Motion passed by roll call/voice vote consistent with recommendation.)

- Case 2024035961 (related matter): The board combined related complaints and, after receiving no responsive information from the respondent following repeated requests, voted to approve counsel's recommendation to seek revocation of the respondent's license for two years. The board chair and legal counsel described the next steps: staff will deliver a proposed consent order; if the respondent declines, the matter will proceed to a formal administrative hearing. The board recorded a roll-call vote on the revocation recommendation; the motion carried with all voting members present voting in favor.

Board counsel and staff noted the procedural steps that follow such votes: the respondent will receive a proposed consent order and may accept it; if not accepted a formal hearing will be scheduled before an administrative law judge. If a revocation is entered and the individual continues to practice, further unlicensed-practice complaints and state collections for fines are possible.

Why it matters: Disciplinary outcomes affect public protection, the integrity of design documents submitted to permitting authorities, and the standing of licensees. The board's actions show active enforcement on uncertified practice and inspection deficiencies.

Next steps: staff to implement counsel's directions (send consent order or notice of hearing, monitor litigation and collect required documents) and to report back at future meetings.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Architects & Engineers Board Meeting - 2/6/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved counsel and staff recommendations in four disciplinary matters, including a $500 penalty and a two-year-revocation recommendation in a set of related complaints.","taxTitle","Commerce & Insurance, Deparments in Office of the Governor, Organizations, Executive, Tennessee","taxId",17379,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6674908,"Board debates experience definitions, titles for graduates who haven't passed FE; stops short of rule changes",956,1146000,2102000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247833-c43c01096ea2f2ad32c902bf741a711f&start=1146&end=2102","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247833-c43c01096ea2f2ad32c902bf741a711f/thumbnail_1146000.jpg","/articles/6674908/Tennessee/Board-debates-experience-definitions-titles-for-graduates-who-havent-passed-FE-stops-short-of-rule-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6674908-9f7d0af80e6c7bfd46725f5d0af552d2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770706296&Signature=kalM~LPkOhF4OqUuyMpEnhNjVgIQ0P678cUcR0eGpkwjTojnf0pMCNq9fn9kGAdWfjfCf44aHGON~3NX2KPPi3HZK~A7ChO~94aHRn5RkyMMwvPi85ayCUvcGEQBz~94w7MNxuXixJ3zWenMtqcY7l4JbOd4scIFCsESwuaf8ZY6RB0CX2qtk6cH2mffGqY1HS~TSnksjmQhL6vHObQcLm58r33AU37T6t2biol-hF4HtAbMnZ77XqZ1cGve0lwUwi7Ufj28IJfkhJQIg-8khh-Fk4YnKf82uMSPmMeD6c7wR8AxmGwrdzG8xUhn2JJGDsa7x0YJ4QF-GSXlP0XO2g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners discussed two related licensure topics: how to evaluate \"progressive experience\" for candidates who work in construction and what appellation (job title) a person may use if they hold an ABET-accredited engineering degree but have not passed the FE exam.

Progressive experience in construction

Committee members reviewed practices from other states and an Alabama model document circulated by staff. Board staff urged caution about adopting prescriptive statewide guidance, saying the board's current rule (referenced as rule 120.010.102 in committee materials) contains a multi-page definition of progressive experience that the committee has traditionally applied on a case-by-case basis. Staff and several board members noted that the committee has applied professional judgment when applications raise questions and that the existing process has been manageable given current application volumes. The committee concluded to continue with case-by-case review rather than issuing a new prescriptive rule, while monitoring inquiries from other states and the profession.

Appellations and use of the word \"engineer\"

The board also discussed what title a person may use who has a four-year ABET degree but has not passed the FE. Speakers cautioned that state statute and board rules prohibit holding oneself out as a professional engineer without licensure. Board counsel and staff emphasized the board already enforces the statute on a complaint basis and that adopting a sanctioned alternative title (for example, \"engineering associate\") would require formal rulemaking and a longer rule-change process. Committee members expressed sympathy for recent graduates who have not yet taken or passed the FE exam, but they also expressed concern that commonly used job postings or employer labels that include the word \"engineer\" can mislead the public when enforcement is inconsistent.

The board declined to create a new appellation at this time. Staff said the practical approach for inquiries is to point candidates and employers to existing statute and rules and to encourage national-industry groups (for example, NCES/NCWS/ACEC) to develop uniform language; any formal appellation change would require a rulemaking exercise.

Why it matters: The topics affect licensure pathways and employer hiring and affect how recent graduates and construction professionals present qualifications to the public.

Next steps: Continue current case-by-case review of progressive experience; staff to direct inquirers to statute and rules and monitor national-model efforts on titles and construction experience.","The board discussed how to evaluate progressive experience for candidates from construction backgrounds and whether to create an alternative job title for degree holders who have not passed the FE exam.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6674911,"Board committee flags sealing, liability concerns as 3D models and BIM become construction deliverables",303,656000,959000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247833-c43c01096ea2f2ad32c902bf741a711f&start=656&end=959","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247833-c43c01096ea2f2ad32c902bf741a711f/thumbnail_656000.jpg","/articles/6674911/Tennessee/Board-committee-flags-sealing-liability-concerns-as-3D-models-and-BIM-become-construction-deliverables","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6674911-b5c25891ad78716d90e0e1fb9f30aa54/orig.mp4?Expires=1770706296&Signature=FKutlm-TYNsQcfKQBsKnaIWzvQNGPx0DHuNAOfgHvau7hRi9ncSGea1aOIIVcJed6BNXwVETS9g1YjuFDAEWbvZhc4bKhb~DAVFY5WoBk4YWepwhvne3NO3gLA3f-NsYMVTEyZnAu9dIkaTQ00-XloqRCjop9-6ap5CKNa1WawrHaWc8x7Y2xfYtLpTg9yTVQlEujzEkVe4IwALZ6DgFw0yhTYpTcNC2sWGAORMVNlRBvQEV865m6KA8-cpO4ujpnqR3Qoc85ZNBhQO2ZU~SGdKDKUAcQyTEjI9pKKVFDtLiPYj~WJDtGxHGmNd44KSs2hooAIXv0kvls-k3dFlqNQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners' engineering committee discussed how the rise of 3D design models and building information modeling (BIM) could affect professional sealing, liability and document control.

Committee members reviewed a Federal Highway Administration roadmap that encourages state departments of transportation to adopt 3D models as construction deliverables, and noted FHWA's stated implementation goal of 2031. Committee member Jason Carter summarized published guidance but said it is intentionally high level and does not address how a registered professional will sign and seal a model.

Several participants observed that some agencies (for example, TDOT) currently require sealed PDFs as the contract document and use methods that lock or sign PDFs to show authorship. Committee members said comparable technical mechanisms for making a 3D model unalterable while preserving a professional's seal are not yet common in practice. \"Is there a way to lock the 3D model? I don't think so,\" one committee member said.

The committee discussed contractor workflows in which a contractor receives a model and can alter it for construction or use it to drive grading machines; that practice raises questions about who retains responsibility for model changes and how to tie the sealed design to the as-built record. Members suggested agencies and the engineering association remain engaged with vendors and industry groups (for example, ACEC and TDOT) to monitor standards such as PDF sign-and-seal equivalents for model files. Several members recommended treating the issue as one to watch: track state agencies' pilots and revisit once standards or vendor solutions (for example, a non-editable 3D-PDF-like format) emerge.

Why it matters: FHWA and parts of the contracting community are moving toward model-based delivery, which can speed construction and reduce translation errors but poses legal and quality-control questions around sealing, version control and professional responsibility.

Next steps: committee to monitor FHWA/state DOT pilots, coordinate with professional associations and return to the issue when state agencies begin serious implementation.","The engineering committee reviewed Federal Highway Administration guidance aiming for 3D models as contract deliverables by 2031, and raised unresolved questions about signing/sealing, ownership, and the inability to 'lock' 3D models in the same way PDFs are signed.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6674914,"Engineering committee backs tightening reference manual language on use of public mapping for basis of design",486,82000,568000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2247833-c43c01096ea2f2ad32c902bf741a711f&start=82&end=568","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2247833-c43c01096ea2f2ad32c902bf741a711f/thumbnail_82000.jpg","/articles/6674914/Tennessee/Engineering-committee-backs-tightening-reference-manual-language-on-use-of-public-mapping-for-basis-of-design","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6674914-1b40dcf9ea2de2921d13535e7da2c826/orig.mp4?Expires=1770706296&Signature=S6nvrgSVuSROrWfu5mzzgBmv7lBW2QBIdggQrIh6g1tQ~OQzbwh5h~XsPsqtEbyU2xmRfPV5GXYbSfkWC9jMCLg2ykuOz~2HQEKVZV-XApjWskV1N4-wWkrrLO9T~eoEzLYdaTTZDApavta7l-1lSAxRTcd8OlXd8cspFyu0nmDkGqjgpdw3MbHcVuvRYPnIA8aZyLjLJvKBQqewQasPNTnQkbLbRI8S3WkIO8LB4oAEeax8DT6xR-u22FZOx1PsmOd1COlFkoOHuYmIGuo7VLmnz3KSzFJI1UXwsdABWBa6YWun1~qR1xwLomL1O9jpESK9ST~gBwu3OX-5E6LOrQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The engineering committee of the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners discussed adding draft guidance to the board's reference manual advising licensees to verify publicly available mapping data before using it as the basis for design.

Committee Chair James Collins opened the topic and said the draft language is included in the packet; committee member Jason Carter said the paragraph \"was intended to be a draft\" and invited input. The committee debated whether the document should \"recommend\" verification, \"endorse\" it or use stronger language such as \"require,\" with members and legal staff cautioning that the reference manual is not binding like a statute or rule.

The discussion stressed two recurring concerns: accuracy and unlicensed practice. Committee members cited cases in their experience where mapping-derived elevations differed materially from surveyed data'one participant said elevations had been off by about 2 feet in previous projects. Several speakers noted Tennessee LiDAR can be accurate in places but is not uniformly reliable and that different CAD platforms (for example, MicroStation vs. AutoCAD) interact with mapping and LiDAR data differently.

Legal and program staff told the committee surveyors'through state surveyor associations'are primarily concerned that publicly available mapping could be used by unlicensed parties to perform land surveying. \"Their issue with that publicly available mapping data is unlicensed activity,\" a staff presenter said, noting surveyors object when others use those data to mark boundaries or certify work without appropriate licensure.

The committee agreed to refine the draft language toward stronger advisory phrasing (examples discussed included \"strongly recommends\" or \"endorse\") rather than mandatory language that would carry the weight of rule. Members directed staff to solicit feedback from licensed surveyors and from Lance (Ayers), who will meet on Feb. 20, and to return a revised draft for committee and board consideration at the April meeting.

Why it matters: Many licensees increasingly rely on online mapping and LiDAR data during early design. The committee's guidance aims to reduce design errors and to clarify professional responsibility and the limits of publicly available datasets.

Next steps: staff will gather surveyor input and present revised wording at the committee's April meeting.","The Board's Engineering Committee discussed drafting strengthened language for its reference manual advising that publicly available mapping (including LiDAR and online mapping datasets) be verified by field survey before being used as the basis for design; the committee will solicit surveyor feedback and revisit the draft at its April meeting.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board approves disciplinary actions including two-year revocation recommendation in related complaint

Board debates experience definitions, titles for graduates who haven't passed FE; stops short of rule changes

Board committee flags sealing, liability concerns as 3D models and BIM become construction deliverables

Engineering committee backs tightening reference manual language on use of public mapping for basis of design