S 1369 General Bill, By J.V. Smith, Leatherman and Mescher
 A Bill to amend Section 40-22-350, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976,
 relating to renewal of registrations and fees for professional engineers and
 professional land surveyors, so as to authorize the State Board of
 Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors to promulgate
 regulations requiring demonstration of competence for registration renewal.

   04/19/94  Senate Introduced and read first time SJ-6
   04/19/94  Senate Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and
                     Industry SJ-6
   05/24/94  Senate Committee report: Favorable Labor, Commerce and
                     Industry SJ-25
   05/25/94  Senate Read second time SJ-266
   05/26/94  Senate Read third time and sent to House SJ-57
   05/31/94  House  Introduced and read first time HJ-30
   05/31/94  House  Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and
                     Industry HJ-30

COMMITTEE REPORT

May 24, 1994

S. 1369

Introduced by SENATORS J. Verne Smith, Leatherman and Mescher

S. Printed 5/24/94--S.

Read the first time April 19, 1994.

To whom was referred a Bill (S. 1369), to amend Section 40-22-350, Code of Laws of South Carolina, 1976, relating to renewal registrations and fees for professional engineers and professional land surveyors, etc., respectfully

That they have duly and carefully considered the same, and recommend that the same do pass:

J. VERNE SMITH, for Committee.

A BILL

TO AMEND SECTION 40-22-350, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO RENEWAL REGISTRATIONS AND FEES FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND PROFESSIONAL LAND SURVEYORS, SO AS TO AUTHORIZE THE STATE BOARD OF REGISTRATION FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND LAND SURVEYORS TO PROMULGATE REGULATIONS REQUIRING DEMONSTRATION OF COMPETENCE FOR REGISTRATION RENEWAL.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

SECTION 1. Section 40-22-350 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 99 of 1991, is amended to read:

"Section 40-22-350. (A) Every A certified professional engineer and a professional land surveyor registered under the provisions of this chapter who decides to continue the practice of his the profession shall annually during the month of June, shall pay the board a fee, sufficient to support the costs of the board's operations, to be determined by the board by regulation, for which fee a renewal registration card for the ensuing registration year must be issued.

(B) The board shall assess a late renewal penalty of twenty percent of the annual renewal fee against those persons who do not renew their registration within one month of the annual renewal date. The penalty must be assessed for each two months thereafter with a maximum grace period of three months following the annual renewal date.

(C) Those persons not renewing their licenses within three months following the annual renewal date shall file a new application accompanied by the required application fee or, if they are in a position to do so, shall file a notarized affidavit with the board certifying that they have not been engaged in the practice of engineering or land surveying in South Carolina during the period their certificates were not in a current condition, accompanied by the total amount of unpaid renewal fees and penalties. An individual whose certificate has lapsed due to nonpayment of the required renewal fee within three months of the due date is considered in the same category as a previously unregistered person and, at the board's discretion, may be required to pass an oral or written examination as a condition of relicensing.

(D) The board may promulgate regulations that as a condition of renewal or re-registration a registered professional engineer must demonstrate continuing professional competency in engineering and a registered professional land surveyor must demonstrate continuing professional competency in land surveying."

SECTION 2. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.