HB 72 – AS INTRODUCED
2005 SESSION
08/01
HOUSE BILL 72
AN ACT relative to continuing education requirements for professional engineers.
SPONSORS: Rep. Buhlman, Hills 27; Rep. Slocum, Hills 6; Rep. Itse, Rock 9
COMMITTEE: Executive Departments and Administration
This bill eliminates any continuing education requirements for professional engineers.
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Explanation: Matter added to current law appears in bold italics.
Matter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
Matter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
05-0054
08/01
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Five
AN ACT relative to continuing education requirements for professional engineers.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
1 Rulemaking; Continuing Education Removed. Amend RSA 310-A:6, I(d) to read as follows:
(d) How a license to practice under this subdivision shall be renewed[, including the requirements for continuing education];
2 Renewal; Continuing Education Not Required. Amend RSA 310-A:21 to read as follows:
310-A:21 License Expiration and Renewals. All licenses issued by the board shall expire on the last day of the month of the licensee's birth in the year 2 years following the year of issuance. The board shall cause notification of the impending license expiration to be sent to each licensee at least one month prior to the expiration of the license. If the renewal fee is not submitted within 12 months after the expiration date, the licensee’s name shall be removed from current status, and application for reinstatement shall be required to return to current status. The board shall charge a 20 percent reinstatement fee for each month or fraction of a month the renewal is late, up to 12 months, in addition to the renewal fee. If a professional engineer is 70 years or older at time of renewal, and the professional engineer has held an engineering license continuously for the 10-year period immediately preceding the renewal, the board may waive the renewal fee in accordance with rules adopted by the board. Continuing education shall not be required for renewal of a license.
3 Effective Date. This act shall take effect 60 days after its passage.
LBAO
05-0054
1/10/05
HB 72 FISCAL NOTE
AN ACT relative to continuing education requirements for professional engineers.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The Joint Board of Licensure and Certification and New Hampshire Municipal Association state this bill may decrease state and local expenditures by an indeterminable amount in FY 2005 and each year thereafter. There will be no fiscal impact on state, county,and local revenue or county expenditures.
METHODOLOGY:
The Joint Board states they do not track the employment of approximately 5,500 professional engineers licensed by the Board. Currently, continuing education can be obtained in many ways, and sometimes with little or no cost to the licensee or employer. Choice of continuing education activities and associated costs vary from licensee to licensee. Engineering is a highly technical and rapidly advancing field, and it is highly likely that employers and licensees would continue to participate in education and training programs even with the elimination of the requirement. The Board states this bill could result in minimal savings, but is unable to determine the exact fiscal impact at this time.
The New Hampshire Municipal Association states this bill may decrease local expenditures to the extent municipalities use professional engineers, either on staff or by contract, and incur decreased expenditures due to the fact that these engineers will no longer be required to have continuing education for their license renewal. The Association is unable to determine the exact fiscal impact at this time.
The Department of Transportation states the responsibility for fulfilling continuing education requirements for professional engineers employed by the Department rests with the employee. There is currently no direct expense to the Department to assist employees in obtaining continuing education credits, and there would be no fiscal impact if the current requirement is eliminated. The Department assumes counties do not have professional engineers in their direct employ, and would not be impacted by this bill.
The Department of Resources and Economic Development states the licensing requirement for the Department’s engineer position is a condition of employment and cost reimbursement for continuing education fulfillment is not allowed as a result. This bill would have no fiscal impact on the Department.
The Department of Environmental Services and the Fish and Game Department state this bill will have no fiscal impact on their respective Departments.