News
Proposed Amendments to the Licensing Rules
TBPELS has proposed amendments to the licensing rules for professional engineers and professional land surveyors. The proposed rules streamline and clarify the Board's application and review process for licensure and registration. Plus, for an applicant whose application is proposed or recommended for denial due to a criminal conviction, the proposed rules add the opportunity for the applicant to request a hearing at the State Office of Administrative Hearings (SOAH) per Texas Occupations Code Chapter 53.
The following rules are affected: §§133.21, 133.23, 133.25, 133.27, 133.53, 133.82, 133.83, 133.85, 133.87, 133.89, 133.97, 133.101, 133.99, 134.21, 134.23, 134.25, 134.53, 134.81, 134.83, 134.85, 134.87, 134.89, 134.97, 134.101 and new rules 140.1 and 140.3. Public comments are due January 30, 2023, and can be sent to rules@pels.texas.gov. Text for the rules and additional information is available at the Texas Secretary of State Website
TBPELS Announces Changes to Exam Requirements to Become a
Registered Professional Land Surveyor in Texas
At the November 17, 2022, meeting of the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS), changes were approved to the examination requirements to become a Registered Professional Land Surveyor (RPLS) in the state of Texas. Starting in May 2023, the current RPLS exam will be replaced with a combination of the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Principles and Practice of Professional Surveying (PS) exam and a new Texas Specific Surveying Exam (TSSE).
Official Announcement with Background and More Information PS & TSSE Exam FAQLicensed Mechanical Engineers Needed
NCEES is currently seeking licensed mechanical engineers to participate in a professional activities and knowledge study, or PAKS, for the PE Mechanical exams. The results of this online survey will be used to update the content of the PE exam, which is used throughout the United States. The deadline is March 15, 2023.
NCEES Survey Link
National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) Honors Govind Nadkarni, P.E. For His Service
TBPELS advisory member and former board member Govind Nadkarni, P.E., was awarded with the Distinguished Service Award with Special Commendation at the 101st NCEES annual meeting held in August in Carlsbad, California. Nadkarni was honored for his extensive work on the state, national, and international level with NCEES and TBPELS. We congratulate him on this important recognition. The NCEES news release for the service award winners is posted online at https://ncees.org/ncees-recognizes-long-standing-service-2022/
Over his career with the board, Nadkarni has been recognized three times by NCEES, including the Distinguished Service Award in 2012. He is the only member from Texas and first Asian American to receive all three awards. He was appointed to the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) in 2000 and served through 2012. As an advisory member, he serves as a mentor to new board members, providing valuable information and historical knowledge regarding board operations.
Nadkarni has been integral in several important activities with the board, including international agreements with South Korea, Canada and Australia. He has participated in ABET visits on behalf of the board and is a liaison to various engineering groups for outreach events in the coastal/south Texas area. He is also involved in engineering outreach and engagement for universities.
Surveyor Advisory Committee
The Surveying Advisory Committee (SAC) is a statutorily required advisory committee to the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) that is charged with providing advice and recommendations to the board on matters related to the regulation of land surveying. The Board has recently revised the structure of the SAC, setting the membership at nine members, each serving a three year term. The application for open positions was opened earlier in the year and we had an incredible response to the request – over 70 RPLS submitted an application for the three open spots. The review and selection process is complete and the Board approved the new members at the August Board Meeting. The three new members to the SAC are:
- Vasileios Kalogirou, RPLS
- David McDow, RPLS, LSLS
- Dorothy Taylor, RPLS
Thanks to everyone that submitted an application. Each year we will be selecting three additional SAC members and we encourage interested RPLS to continue to volunteer in the future. We will post the application information on the TBPELS website mid-2023 for the next round of nominations.
We look forward to working with the new members of the Surveying Advisory Committee.
AG Opinion No. KP-0409
Re: Whether a licensed professional engineer is authorized to certify a subdivision plat in specific circumstances
June 6, 2022 – In response to the Board’s request, Attorney General Ken Paxton released Attorney General Opinion KP-0409 concerning Local Government Code Chapter 232, Subchapter B as it relates to certain subdivision platting in specific counties close to the Texas-Mexico Border. The ruling finds that, similar to the requirements for other areas of the State, both a land surveyor and an engineer should attest to the portions of the subdivision platting requirements of Local Government Code 232, Subchapter B corresponding to their respective areas of professional expertise or as otherwise provided in the law.
Click here for a copy of KP-0409
Notice to New Engineering Businesses or Firms
Section 1001.405 of the Texas Engineering Practice Act protects the use of the terms “engineer” and “engineering” in business names unless it is registered with the Board, employs a professional engineer registered in the State of Texas on a full-time basis, and is actively engaged in the practice of engineering. Before filing paperwork with the Board or the Texas Secretary of State’s office to incorporate a new business with some variation of “engineer” or “engineering” in its name, please Contact TBPELS to confirm the name will be compliant with the requirements of the Texas Engineering Practice Act.
Events
TBPELS Ethics Webinars
The Board is offering these free ethics webinars to assist license and registration holders with meeting their ethics requirement.
Each one hour webinar provides an up-to-date overview of agency activities, case studies,
and a review of professional ethics topics.
The next available webinar is on Thursday Feb 9, 2023 from 2-3pm and is now open for registrationon our webinars page.
