HOUSE BILL No. 4947

 

June 19, 2007, Introduced by Reps. Warren, Ward, Gillard, Wojno and Bauer and referred to the Committee on Regulatory Reform.

 

      A bill to amend 1980 PA 299, entitled

 

"Occupational code,"

 

by amending sections 213 and 303a (MCL 339.213 and 339.303a),

 

section 303a as amended by 2006 PA 489, and by adding article 17.

 

THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 

 1        Sec. 213. (1) If a person has not previously been denied a

 

 2  license or a certificate of registration or had a license or a

 

 3  certificate of registration revoked or suspended, the department

 

 4  may grant a nonrenewable temporary license or certificate of

 

 5  registration to an applicant for licensure or registration or

 

 6  transfer of licensure or registration pursuant to articles 8 9 to

 

 7  25, but not including article 17.

 

 8        (2) As approved by a board, a temporary license or

 

 9  certificate of registration issued under this section is valid


 

 1  until 1 or more of the following occurs:

 

 2        (a) The results of the next scheduled examination are

 

 3  available.

 

 4        (b) The results of the next required evaluation procedure

 

 5  are available.

 

 6        (c) A license or certificate of registration is issued.

 

 7        (d) The next examination date of an examination for

 

 8  licensure or registration in the applicable occupation, if the

 

 9  applicant does not take the examination.

 

10        (e) The applicant fails to meet the requirements for a

 

11  license or certificate of registration.

 

12        (f) A change in employment is made.

 

13        (3) A temporary license or certificate of registration may

 

14  be limited as defined in article 1 contain a limitation as

 

15  described in section 105(3).

 

16        Sec. 303a. The terms provided for in this act shall commence

 

17  on the following dates:

 

 

18      Accountancy                                     July 1

19      Architects                                      April 1

20      Auctioneers                                     October 1

21      Barbers                                         October 1

22      Collection agencies                             July 1

23      Community planners                              July 1

24      Cosmetology                                     January 1

25      Employment agencies                             October 1

26      Foresters                                       April 1

27      Hearing aid dealers                             October 1


     Land surveyors                                  April 1

     Landscape architects                            July 1

     Mortuary science                                July 1

     Professional engineers                          April 1

5       Professional geologists                         October 1

     Real estate appraisers                          July 1

     Real estate brokers and salespersons            July 1

     Residential builders                            April 1

 

 

 

 

 9                              ARTICLE 17

 

10        Sec. 1701. As used in this article:

 

11        (a) "Geologist" means an individual who is qualified by his

 

12  or her knowledge of the principles of geology acquired by

 

13  professional education and practical experience.

 

14        (b) "Geology" means the science that includes all of the

 

15  following:

 

16        (i) The treatment of the earth and its origin and history, in

 

17  general.

 

18        (ii) The investigation of the earth's constituent rocks,

 

19  minerals, solids, and fluids including surface and underground

 

20  waters, gases, and other materials.

 

21        (iii) The study of the natural agents, forces, and processes

 

22  which cause changes in the earth.

 

23        (c) "Professional geologist" means a person who is licensed

 

24  as a professional geologist under this article.

 

25        (d) "Public practice of geology" means the performance of

 

26  service to the public in connection with the geological

 


 1  description, location, or evaluation of geological materials,

 

 2  liquids, and gases and the natural processes acting upon them.

 

 3  Public practice of geology includes geological consulting,

 

 4  investigating, evaluating, specifying, and planning relating to

 

 5  the science of geology.

 

 6        (e) "State geologist" means the individual in charge of the

 

 7  Michigan geological survey established under part 601 of the

 

 8  natural resources and environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451,

 

 9  MCL 324.60101 to 324.60108.

 

10        (f) "Survey" refers to the Michigan geological survey

 

11  established under part 601 of the natural resources and

 

12  environmental protection act, 1994 PA 451, MCL 324.60101 to

 

13  324.60108.

 

14        Sec. 1702. There is created a board of professional

 

15  geologists.

 

16        Sec. 1703. (1) A person shall not engage or offer to engage

 

17  in the public practice of geology unless licensed as a

 

18  professional geologist under this article or unless exempt from

 

19  licensure under section 1708.

 

20        (2) A person shall not use the titles "professional

 

21  geologist", "licensed professional geologist", "P.G.", or any

 

22  other title or description tending to connote that the person is

 

23  licensed under this article unless the person is licensed as a

 

24  professional geologist.

 

25        Sec. 1704. (1) To qualify for licensure, an applicant shall

 

26  meet all of the following requirements:

 

27        (a) The successful completion of at least 30 semester hours

 


 1  or 45 quarter hours of course work in geology, culminating in a

 

 2  baccalaureate or advanced degree in geology, hydrogeology,

 

 3  geophysics, geochemistry, geological engineering, or geotechnical

 

 4  engineering from an accredited college or university acceptable

 

 5  to the board. The board may allow courses dealing with applied

 

 6  geological science that are given under the auspices of an

 

 7  academic department other than geology toward the fulfillment of

 

 8  the education requirement.

 

 9        (b) Experience in professional geological work consisting of

 

10  1 of the following:

 

11        (i) Eight years of teaching geology as a faculty member at

 

12  the college or university level acceptable to the board.

 

13        (ii) Eight years of geological research by an applicant at

 

14  the college or university level acceptable to the board.

 

15        (iii) Eight years of geological work performed under the

 

16  supervision of, or in collaboration with, a professional

 

17  geologist and acceptable to the board.

 

18        (iv) Eight years of other geological work that is acceptable

 

19  to the board.

 

20        (c) Provide not less than 5 references, 3 of which shall be

 

21  references from professional geologists who have personal

 

22  knowledge of the applicant's professional experience.

 

23        (d) A passing score on an examination acceptable to the

 

24  board that has been designed to demonstrate that the applicant

 

25  has the necessary knowledge and skill to exercise the

 

26  responsibilities of the public practice of geology, subject to

 

27  section 1706.

 


 1        (e) Be of good moral character.

 

 2        (f) Pay the applicable license and application fee.

 

 3        (2) In counting years of experience under subsection (1)(b),

 

 4  the board may allow 2 years of credit each for a master's degree

 

 5  or doctoral degree in geology, hydrogeology, geophysics,

 

 6  geochemistry, geological engineering, or geotechnical engineering

 

 7  from an accredited college or university acceptable to the board.

 

 8        (3) The department may issue a license for a term of up to 3

 

 9  years in duration.

 

10        (4) The department shall not issue a temporary license under

 

11  section 213.

 

12        Sec. 1705. Upon application, the department shall license a

 

13  person who is licensed or otherwise regulated as a geologist in a

 

14  state that has standards for licensure or regulation at least

 

15  equal to those for licensure under this article, as determined by

 

16  the board.

 

17        Sec. 1706. Until 12 months after the effective date of the

 

18  amendatory act that added this article, the board shall waive the

 

19  examination requirement for applicants otherwise qualified by

 

20  education, experience, and integrity.

 

21        Sec. 1707. (1) A professional geologist may, upon licensure,

 

22  obtain and use a seal or stamp of licensure of a design

 

23  authorized by the board, containing the geologist's name and

 

24  license number and the legend "licensed professional geologist",

 

25  "professional geologist", or "P.G.".

 

26        (2) A professional geologist shall not affix his or her

 

27  signature, stamp, or seal, or certify any report or other

 


 1  geological document after his or her license has been suspended

 

 2  or revoked.

 

 3        Sec. 1708. (1) The following persons are exempt from

 

 4  licensure under this article:

 

 5        (a) A person engaged in geological research or the

 

 6  instruction of geology.

 

 7        (b) A landscape architect registered under article 22 who

 

 8  applies geology incidental to the practice of landscape

 

 9  architecture.

 

10        (c) A professional engineer licensed under article 20 who,

 

11  while engaged in the practice of professional engineering as

 

12  defined in section 2001(g), collects, investigates, interprets,

 

13  or evaluates data relating to soil, rock, groundwater, surface

 

14  water, gases, or other earth conditions, or uses that data for

 

15  analysis, consultation, planning, design, or construction.

 

16        (d) A person licensed to engage in the public practice of

 

17  geology in another state while temporarily in this state to

 

18  present a proposal for services.

 

19        (2) A person who does 1 or more of the following is subject

 

20  to the penalties described in article 6:

 

21        (a) Uses the term "professional geologist", "licensed

 

22  professional geologist", "P.G.", or any other title or

 

23  description tending to connote that the person is licensed under

 

24  this article unless licensed as a professional geologist.

 

25        (b) Presents or attempts to use as the person's own a

 

26  license or seal of another person.

 

27        (c) Submits for approval to a public official of this state,

 


 1  or a political subdivision of this state, a plan, report, or

 

 2  survey for filing as a public record that does not bear the seal

 

 3  of a licensed professional geologist.

 

 4        Enacting section 1. This amendatory act does not take effect

 

 5  unless all of the following bills of the 94th Legislature are

 

 6  enacted into law:

 

 7        (a) Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 4946(request no.

 

 8  02457'07 a).

 

 9        (b) Senate Bill No.____ or House Bill No. 4949(request no.

 

10  02457'07 b).