A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT to clarify the requirements for initial licensure as a professional engineer.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
SECTION 1.  G.S. 89C‑13 reads as rewritten:
"§ 89C‑13.  General requirements for licensure.
(a)	

	

	

	

.Engineer Intern. – To be certified as an engineer intern, an applicant shall (i) pass the fundamentals of engineering examination and make application to the Board, (ii) be of good character and reputation, (iii) submit three character references to the Board, one of whom is a professional engineer, (iv) comply with the requirements of this Chapter, and (v) meet one of the following requirements:
(1)	Education. – Be a graduate of an EAC/ABET accredited engineering curriculum or of a related science curriculum which has been approved by the Board as being of satisfactory standing.
(2)	Education and experience. – Be a graduate of an engineering curriculum or related science curriculum of four years or more, other than curriculums approved by the Board as being of satisfactory standing in subdivision (1) of this subsection, and possess engineering experience satisfactory to the Board with a specific record of four or more years of progressive experience on engineering projects of a grade and character satisfactory to the Board.
(a1)	Engineer Applicant. – To be licensed as a professional engineer, an applicant (i) shall be of good character and reputation, (ii) submit five character references to the Board, three of whom are professional engineers or individuals acceptable to the Board with personal knowledge of the applicant's engineering experience, (iii) comply with the requirements of this Chapter, and (iv) meet the requirements related to education, examination, and experience set forth in this subsection. An applicant seeking licensure as a professional engineer shall meet the following requirements:
(1)	Education requirement. – Possess one or more of the following educational qualifications:
a.	A bachelor's degree in engineering from an EAC/ABET accredited program or in a related science curriculum which has been approved by the Board as being of satisfactory standing.
b.	A bachelor's degree in an engineering curriculum or related science curriculum of four years or more, other than curriculums approved by the Board as being of satisfactory standing in sub‑subdivision a. of this subdivision.
c.	A master's degree in engineering from an institution that offers EAC/ABET accredited programs.
d.	An earned doctoral degree in engineering from an institution that offers EAC/ABET accredited programs and in which the degree requirements are approved by the Board.
(2)	Examination requirements. – Take and pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination. Take and pass the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) examination as provided by G.S. 89C‑15, after having met the education requirement set forth in subdivision (1) of this subsection.
(3)	Experience requirement. – Present evidence satisfactory to the Board of a specific record of progressive engineering experience that is of a grade and character that indicates to the Board that the applicant is competent to practice engineering. The Board may adopt rules to specify the years of experience required based on educational attainment, provided the experience requirement for an applicant who qualifies under sub‑subdivision (1)a. of this subsection shall be no less than four years and for an applicant who qualifies under sub‑subdivision (1)b. of this subsection, no less than eight years.
For purposes of this subsection the term "EAC/ABET" means the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology.
(a2)	Licensure by Comity or Endorsement. – A person holding a certificate of licensure to engage in the practice of engineering, on the basis of comparable qualifications, issued to the person by a proper authority of a state, territory, or possession of the United States, the District of Columbia, or of any foreign country possessing credentials that, based on verifiable evidence, in the opinion of the Board, of a standard not lower than that in effect in this State at the time the certificate was issued, may upon application, be licensed without further examination, except as required to examine the applicant's knowledge of laws, rules, and requirements unique to North Carolina.
(a3)	Long‑Established Practice. – A person with a specific record of 20 years or more of progressive experience on engineering projects of a grade and character which indicates to the Board that the applicant may be competent to practice engineering shall be admitted to the Principles and Practice of Engineering examination. Upon passing the examination, the person shall be granted a certificate of licensure to practice professional engineering in this State, provided the person is otherwise qualified.
(a4)	Exceptions. – The following persons may apply for and be granted waiver of the fundamentals of engineering examination and admission to the principles and practice of engineering examination:
(1)	A full‑time engineering faculty member who teaches in an approved engineering program offering a four‑year or more degree approved by the Board. The faculty member applicant shall document that the degree meets the Board's requirements.
(2)	A person possessing an earned doctoral degree in engineering from an institution in which the same discipline undergraduate engineering program has been accredited by EAC/ABET. The doctoral degree applicant shall document that the degree meets the Board's requirements.
(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.
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SECTION 2.  This act becomes effective October 1, 2015.