Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Professional Engineers Registration Act topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee hears technical fixes and workplace qualification changes in engineers bill
Summary
HB 2229 would modernize the Professional Engineers Registration Act by removing a U.S. citizenship requirement for board members, expanding Pro Tem membership, and changing how years of experience are counted for licensure; the board asked for a technical amendment to avoid changing its official name.
The Consumer Protection and Business Committee heard staff and board testimony on House Bill 2229, a proposal to amend the Professional Engineers Registration Act.
Peter Clodfelter, staff to the committee, described the bill’s primary provisions: removal of the U.S. citizenship requirement for members of the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors; an increase in authorized Pro Tem board members from two to three and revised appointment procedures (including allowing an on-site wastewater designer licensed in Washington with five years’ experience to serve as a Pro Tem); greater flexibility in counting experience toward the eight-year requirement for engineering and land-survey registration (for example, permitting certain non‑engineering undergraduate degrees or teaching/postgraduate work to count for more years at the board’s discretion); removal of several temporary-practice and nonresident exclusions; delegation to the board for continuing professional development hour requirements; updates to certificate expiration rules; and terminology cleanups.
Christina Horton, deputy director of the Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BRPLS), testified in support of technical fixes and asked for a small change so the bill would not inadvertently alter the board’s official name by inserting the word “professional” before land surveyor in a way the agency did not intend. Horton said the board supports decoupling experience requirements from exam timing so applicants can apply for licensure once experience requirements are met.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about the citizenship removal and board composition. Horton said the requirement that a board member be familiar with Washington laws remains in place through residency and licensure requirements; she was not aware why the citizenship requirement had been included historically.
The committee closed the public hearing on HB 2229 for the day; no executive action was taken on Jan. 14.
Ending: Staff and board will work with sponsors on a technical amendment to preserve the board’s official name while retaining the intended programmatic updates.
