Board votes to allow rulemaking for UK MRA pathway, keeps California state exams; raises exam and fee updates

The Board voted to authorize staff to pursue rulemaking that would waive NCEES national examinations for applicants who qualify under the United Kingdom Engineering Council – NCEES mutual recognition agreement (MRA), while preserving California‑specific exams for licensure.

In a recorded roll‑call, the Board adopted a motion directing staff to prepare rulemaking language so that chartered engineers from the United Kingdom who hold the International PE designation could apply to the Board without taking the relevant NCEES national exams. At the same time the Board explicitly reserved the right to require California’s second‑division/state exams — notably the seismic principles and California laws/regulations tests — for applicants who seek a California civil engineering license through that pathway. Staff told the Board the MRA certificates currently in circulation are small in number (the Engineering Council reported about 360 internationally designated engineers), and the Board asked staff to write rule language that defines which foreign credentials and participating UK organizations will be accepted.

Executive Officer Rick (board staff) briefed the Board on the policy and legal implications and emphasized that any rulemaking will need to be precise about eligibility and the state exams that cannot be waived in order to preserve public‑safety standards in California. The Board’s motion obligates staff to return with proposed regulatory language for consideration and public rulemaking.

Exams and testing operations: Board members discussed a recent testing‑operations error and structural‑exam complaints. Staff described an incident in which Prometric inadvertently distributed “no‑show” notices to thousands of candidates by mistake; staff and the test vendor corrected the record and directly notified affected examinees. Members also heard public comments and a detailed statement from an industry representative about problems with the new computer‑based administration of the structural exam (timing, single‑monitor reference access and length), and asked staff to continue to monitor NCEES and vendor responses.

Licensing and examinations actions: The Board approved test‑spec changes for the Certified Engineering Geologist (CEG) exam test plan and accepted corrected domain percentage placement on the land surveyor test specifications cover page (the underlying test specifications were unchanged). The Board also voted to authorize staff to pursue a routine rulemaking correction to align a land‑surveyor rule (Board Rule 4.25) with statutory paragraph renumbering that took effect after a 2021 statutory change.

Finance and fees: Staff presented the fiscal update showing revenues ahead of projections through the current reporting period and described a proposed fee package under development (renewal fee proposed to move from $1.80 to $2.50 in staff tables presented to the Board). The Board received updated fee justifications and was told that staff will bring a rulemaking package for fee changes when the financial analysis and Department of Consumer Affairs review are complete. Staff noted the Board’s fund condition has improved after an adjustment to the prior‑year beginning balance.

Enforcement and Connect intake: Staff reported steady enforcement throughput and an increase in complaints received through the Connect consumer‑complaint intake portal; many incoming complaints have required intake‑level screening because they fell outside the Board’s jurisdiction. Enforcement staff reported improved closure of older caseloads but noted a backlog in mid‑stage investigations driven by a few complex, long‑running matters.

Next steps: For the UK MRA item the Board’s vote authorized drafting of rule language and does not itself change licensing rules; any change will require a noticed rulemaking process with public comment. Board staff will return with draft regulations spelling out eligibility, the precise exams to be waived, and the route for applicants who seek a California license via the NCEES–Engineering Council (UK) pathway.

Ending: The Board recessed for closed‑session deliberations on pending disciplinary matters after completing the open‑session agenda.