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Committee backs stiffer penalties to deter fraudulent seal use by unlicensed actors
Summary
A PCS for HB839 seeking increased fines and penalties for unlicensed practice of engineering — aimed at stopping theft or misuse of professional seals and fraudulent signings — was presented, discussed with examples, and reported favorably by the committee.
Representative Mello introduced a PCS for House Bill 839 to strengthen penalties for unlicensed practice of engineering, motivated by reports of theft of seals and fraudulent signing. Mello said the engineering industry has been ‘‘inundated’’ with fraudulent signing and sealing by unlicensed individuals and described a local case in Collier County in which a contractor used an engineer’s seal while the engineer was impaired.
Committee members endorsed the bill’s public‑safety rationale. Representative Antone said ‘‘people shouldn’t be sealing drawings or engineering plans if they’re not qualified,’’ while Representative Ben Roach and Representative Boyles described local problems and encouraged support for the measure. No amendments were offered and public testimony was waived in committee.
The committee conducted a roll‑call and reported the bill favorably for further consideration.
