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Subcommittee advances bill allowing engineers to take PE exam earlier
Summary
Senate Bill 125 would permit professional engineers to take the PE (Professional Engineer) exam immediately after completing academic coursework rather than waiting until field experience is complete; the subcommittee voted to report the bill to the full committee by voice vote.
Senate Bill 125, introduced to the Occupation and Professional Licenses Subcommittee, would allow individuals who have completed the academic requirements for professional engineering to take the Professional Engineer (PE) exam earlier in the licensure sequence, a presenter told the committee.
The presenter described SB 125 (LC 469001) as a measure that "does what we call decoupling for professional engineers": under the bill, the PE exam could be taken after the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam and academic coursework rather than only after the required period of field experience. The presenter said the change "does not reduce any of the field experience requirements to get their final license. It just reorders when they can take the PE exam. Allows them to take it sooner." (paraphrased from testimony to correct spoken phrasing.)
Supporters said the change is intended to raise pass rates and increase the number of licensed engineers available as the state grows. The presenter noted the current path can require several years of documented field experience following the FE exam before candidates sit for the PE exam.
There were no questions recorded in the provided transcript. A motion to do pass SB 125 was made and seconded, and the chair called for the ayes; the transcript records a voice vote and indicates the bill was reported to the full committee.
No amendments or outside testimony were recorded in the excerpt provided.
