Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Professional Licensing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
House advances engineer-licensing bill aligning state standards with national models
Summary
House Bill 291 would raise education and experience requirements for professional engineers and land surveyors to align Utah with national model statutes and ABET curriculum standards; sponsors argued the measure improves public safety, especially for structural design against earthquakes.
Representative Laban presented House Bill 2-91 to strengthen the state's engineering and land-surveying licensing standards and to align them with model laws advocated by the National Council of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors (including ABET standards). The sponsor argued the changes improve public safety, especially for structural design to resist earthquakes, and noted support from the Utah Engineers Council and university specialists.
Members asked whether existing institutions (for example, Weber State) would need curriculum upgrades by the 1996 implementation date; the sponsor said existing institutions largely support the transition but acknowledged at least a multi-year window for adjustments. Questions about fees and whether licensed professionals would charge higher rates were raised; the sponsor said fees are set according to regulatory need and market factors.
Floor discussion included concerns about narrowing opportunities for vocational-trained workers and possible fiscal consequences for institutions that would need to upgrade programs. The bill was circled for further action.
