Supporters tell Economic Matters Committee SB529 would require experience-only engineer applicants to take both FE and PE exams

Kimberly Shiloh, chief of staff for Senator Ben Brooks, told the Economic Matters Committee that Senate Bill 529 would require all applicants for licensure as a professional engineer in Maryland to pass both the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam and the Principles of Engineering (PE) exam, regardless of whether they qualify by education or experience.

Shiloh summarized the current three pathways to licensure described in the bill testimony: (1) an applicant who graduates from a state-board-approved engineering program typically needs a four-year degree, four years of satisfactory work and passage of both exams; (2) a graduate from a non-approved program needs eight years of work and both exams; and (3) an experience-only applicant (no college degree) currently can qualify after 12 years of experience under a licensed professional engineer but historically was required to pass only the Principles of Engineering exam. SB529 would align the examination requirement so all three pathways require passage of both the FE and PE exams going forward.

Greg Morgan, representing the Maryland Society of Professional Engineers (MDSPE), asked the committee for a favorable report and said the bill does not add experience or education requirements, it simply requires equal examination standards for all applicants. "This bill does not add any additional experience or educational requirements. It simply makes equal to examination requirements for all candidates for licensure as a professional engineer in Maryland," Morgan said.

Tory Pierce, legislative chair for MDSPE and principal at Frederick Ward Associates, told the committee the FE exam now focuses on discipline-specific fundamentals and that requiring the FE for the experience pathway would improve reciprocal licensing opportunities in other states. Witnesses noted that current licensees who already earned licenses under the experience-only pathway would be grandfathered; the change would apply to applicants moving forward.

Delegate Harrison asked clarifying questions about timing and the sequence of exams; witnesses explained applicants may take the FE at any time during the experience period but cannot take the PE until the prerequisite education or experience has been completed. Committee members did not record a vote in the transcript; the hearing concluded after questions.