A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to revise the education requirements for licensure of a professional land surveyor and make various technical changes.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.(a)  G.S. 89C‑13 reads as rewritten:
"§ 89C‑13.  General requirements for licensure.
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(b)	Land Surveyor Applicant. – The evaluation of a land surveyor applicant's qualifications shall involve a consideration of the applicant's education, technical, and land surveying experience, exhibits of land surveying projects with which the applicant has been associated, and recommendations by references. The land surveyor applicant's qualifications may be reviewed at an interview if the Board determines it necessary. Educational credit for institute courses, correspondence courses, or other courses shall be determined by the Board.
The following shall be considered as minimum evidence satisfactory to the Board that the applicant is qualified for licensure as a professional land surveyor:
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(1a)	To be licensed as a professional land surveyor, an applicant shall (i) be of good character and reputation, (ii) submit five character references to the Board, three of whom are professional land surveyors or individuals acceptable to the Board, with personal knowledge of the applicant's land surveying experience, (iii) comply with the requirements of this Chapter, and (iv) meet one of the following requirements:
a.	Rightful possession of a bachelor of science degree in surveying or other equivalent curricula, all approved by the Board and meets all of the following:
1.	Has a record satisfactory to the Board of two years or more of progressive practical experience which shall have been under a practicing professional land surveyor.
2.	Has successfully passed the Fundamentals of Surveying examination.
3.	Has successfully passed any additional oral and written examination required by the Board, all of which shall determine and indicate that the applicant is competent to practice land surveying.
The applicant may then apply to take the Principles and Practices of Land Surveying examination and upon passing this examination, shall be granted licensure as a professional land surveyor.
b.	Rightful possession of an associate degree in surveying technology approved by the Board and meets all of the following:
1.	Has a record satisfactory to the Board of five years or more of progressive practical experience which shall have been under a practicing licensed land surveyor.
2.	Has successfully passed the Fundamentals of Surveying examination.
3.	Has successfully passed any additional written and oral examination required by the Board, all of which shall determine and indicate that the applicant is competent to practice land surveying.
The applicant may then apply to take the Principles and Practices of Land Surveying examination and upon passing this examination, shall be granted licensure as a professional land surveyor.
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d.	Graduation from a high school or the completion of a high school equivalency certificate and meets all of the following:
1.	Has a record satisfactory to the Board of nine years or more of progressive practical experience which shall have been under a practicing professional land surveyor.
2.	Has successfully passed the Fundamentals of Surveying examination.
3.	Has successfully passed any additional oral and written examinations required by the Board, all of which shall determine and indicate that the candidate is competent to practice land surveying.
The applicant may then apply to take the Principles and Practices of Land Surveying examination and upon passing this examination, shall be granted licensure as a professional land surveyor.
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SECTION 1.(b)  G.S. 89C‑10 reads as rewritten:
"§ 89C‑10.  Board powers.
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(f)	It shall be the responsibility and duty of the Board to conduct a regular program of investigation concerning all matters within its jurisdiction under the provisions of this Chapter. The investigation of a licensee is confidential until the Board issues a citation to the licensee or approves any action authorized under this Chapter against a nonlicensee. The Board may expend its funds for salaries, fees, and per diem expenses, in connection with its investigations, provided that no funds other than per diem expenses shall be paid to any member of the Board in connection with its investigations, nor may any member of the Board give testimony and later sit in deciding on any matter which may directly involve punitive action for the testimony.
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SECTION 1.(c)  G.S. 89C‑11 reads as rewritten:
"§ 89C‑11.  Secretary; duties and liabilities; expenditures.
The secretary of the Board shall receive and account for all moneys derived from the operation of the Board as provided in this Chapter, and shall deposit them in one or more special funds in banks or other financial institutions carrying deposit insurance and authorized to do business in North Carolina. The fund or funds shall be designated as "Fund of the Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors" and shall be drawn against only for the purpose of implementing provisions of this Chapter as herein provided. All expenses certified by the Board as properly and necessarily incurred in the discharge of its duties, including authorized compensation, shall be paid out of this fund. At no time shall the total of such certified expenses issued exceed the total amount of funds accumulated under this Chapter. The secretary of the Board shall give a surety bond satisfactory to the State Board of Examiners for Engineers and Surveyors, conditioned upon the faithful performance of the duties assigned. The premium on the bond is a proper and necessary expense of the Board. The secretary of the Board may delegate to the executive director certain routine duties, such as receipt and disbursement of funds in stated amounts by a written authorization, which has the majority approval of the Board."
SECTION 1.(d)  G.S. 89C‑17 reads as rewritten:
"§ 89C‑17.  Expirations and renewals of certificates.
Certificates for licensure of corporations and business firms that engage in the practice of engineering or land surveying shall expire on the last day of the month of June following their issuance or renewal and shall become invalid on that date unless renewed. All other certificates for licensure shall expire on the last day of the month of December next following their issuance or renewal, and shall become invalid on that date unless renewed. When necessary to protect the public health, safety, or welfare, the Board shall require any evidence necessary to establish the continuing competency of engineers and land surveyors as a condition of renewal of licenses. When the Board is satisfied as to the continuing competency of an applicant, it shall issue a renewal of the certificate upon payment by the applicant of a fee fixed by the Board but not to exceed seventy‑five dollars ($75.00). The secretary of the Board shall notify by mail or email every person licensed under this Chapter of the date of expiration of the certificate, the amount of the fee required for its renewal for one year, and any requirement as to evidence of continued competency. The notice shall be sent by email or mailed at least one month in advance of the expiration date of the certificate. Renewal shall be effected at any time during the month immediately following the month of expiration, by payment to the secretary of the Board of a renewal fee, as determined by the Board, which shall not exceed seventy‑five dollars ($75.00). Failure on the part of any licensee to renew the certificate annually in the month immediately following the month of expiration, as required above, shall deprive the licensee of the right to practice until reinstatement of the license. The license may be reinstated at anytime during the first 12 months immediately following the date the license became invalid by payment of a reinstatement fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) in addition to the established renewal fee. Failure of a licensee to reinstate the license during the first 12 months immediately following the date the license became invalid shall require the individual, prior to resuming practice in North Carolina, to submit an application on the prescribed form, and to meet all other requirements for licensure as set forth in Chapter 89C. The secretary of the Board is instructed to remove from the official roster of engineers and land surveyors the names of all licensees who have not effected their renewal by the first day of the month immediately following the renewal period. The Board may adopt rules to provide for renewals in distress or hardship cases due to military service, prolonged illness, or prolonged absence from the State, where the applicant for renewal demonstrates to the Board that the applicant has maintained active knowledge and professional status as an engineer or land surveyor, as the case may be. It shall be the responsibility of each licensee to inform the Board promptly concerning change in address. A licensee may request and be granted inactive status. No inactive licensee may practice in this State unless otherwise exempted in this Chapter. A licensee granted inactive status shall pay annual renewal fees but shall not be subject to annual continuing professional competency requirements. A licensee granted inactive status may return to active status by meeting all requirements of the Board, including demonstration of continuing professional competency as a condition of reinstatement."
SECTION 1.(e)  G.S. 89C‑22 reads as rewritten:
"§ 89C‑22.  Disciplinary action – Charges; procedure.
(a)	Any person may prefer charges of fraud, deceit, gross negligence, incompetence, misconduct, or violations of this Chapter, the rules of professional conduct, or any rules adopted by the Board against any Board licensee. The charges shall be in writing or submitted electronically and shall be filed with the Board.
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SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective October 1, 2021, and applies to applications for licensure on or after that date.