(Posted July 22, 2003)
By: Craig Dingler, HGS President 2003-04
A message to fellow Houston Geological Society members: Greetings, everyone:
As a reminder, the due date is rapidly approaching for submitting applications to the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (TBPG) during the grandfathering phase of licensing.
I urge everyone who has considered applying to review the “frequently asked questions” (FAQs) on the TBPG web site ( www.tbpg.state.tx.us/faq.htm ) to help determine if being licensed would benefit you, your career, and your professional growth. The licensing procedure is more stringent, and more expensive, after the grandfathering phase ends on August 31, 2003.
Applications are available from the TBPG website:
www.tbpg.state.tx.us/forms.htm
or by mail from the TBPG, P.O. Box 13225, Austin, TX 78711
I have also attached below a letter from Mr. Richard Howe, an HGS member, sent to Texans in the American Institute of Professional Geologists and the Association of Engineering Geologists. Mr. Howe brings up several good points that may factor in your decision.
Respectfully yours,
Craig Dingler
HGS President 2003-04
Dear Geoscience Colleagues:
During the 2001 legislative session, the Texas Geoscience Practice Act was passed. This legislation provided a mechanism to license geologists thereby granting them a legally recognized professional status in Texas. Licensing of geoscientists in Texas provides protection to the public by requiring geoscientists working in the arena of public health and safety to possess a level of education and expertise that qualifies them for such practice. It keeps unqualified people from performing geoscientific work that could adversely impact the public and that could leave the geoscience profession with a black eye. The licensure act also protects the geoscience profession by preventing or limiting encroachment into our areas of expertise by other professions.
The licensure act established a “grandfather” period extending from September 01, 2002 to August 31, 2003 wherein geoscientists possessing a geoscientific education and more than five years of experience could become licensed without taking the exam. The August 31st deadline for applying for licensure is fast approaching.
If you plan to get your license, you need to have your application and other required information into the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists by this date. Otherwise, you will have to take an exam in order to obtain your license.
As I understand, only 57% of all examinees pass the National Association of State Boards of Geologists (ASBOG) “fundamentals of geology” examination. This group includes both first time and multi-time test takers. The 57% pass statistic for this exam has been constant since October 1992. The pass rate for the “principles and practice” exam - normally taken after 5 years of professional experience - is only slightly better than the “fundamentals of geology” exam.
The Texas Board has selected to use the ASBOG (National Association of State Boards of Geology) examinations for Texas applicants. This helps provide a national level of commonality between states and makes it easier for a geologist to obtain a license in another ASBOG member state. The examination uses a multiple-choice style and is designed to test the candidate’s general level of geology. Questions are based upon the results of a national task analysis, thus the examination is designed to test fundamental geologic principles and skills that are directly related to the public practice of geology. A selection of sample questions from the “Candidate’s Handbook” are presented below:
If you are in the petroleum industry or academia - areas that are normally exempt from licensure - and if you believe that you have no need for a license, then consider that should your present employment end you may have to find work in other areas of geoscientific application. Without a license you cannot prepare a geologic report for any public entity in Texas. Additionally, you will be prohibited from consulting in any geoscientific area that affects the health and safety of the citizens of this state. In order to work as an unlicensed geoscientist on projects affecting the public health and safety, you will have to work under the direction of a Professional Geoscientist or a Professional Engineer.
If you are absolutely certain that you do not need a license or if you believe that you can easily pass the required exams if the need ever arises, then by all means don’t take advantage of the “grandfather” period. However, if you believe there is even the slightest chance that you may one day find yourself working in an area requiring a license and that you will not have the time or the desire to re-educate yourself for the exams, then do not let August 31st pass without having submitted your license application.
For all of my geoscience colleagues who have decided not to seek licensing, I urge you to reconsider. For those of you who have not made up your minds, I hope that you will decide to become licensed professional geoscientists.
Sincerely,
Richard G. Howe, P.G., C.P.G.
(Posted September 18, 2002)
By: Dan Smith, AAPG President and
Rick Ericksen, DPA Chair State Registration and Licensure
Survey Web Page input request
As a service to the members of the AAPG we are
forwarding the following important information on to you.
As you may be aware legislation, which was supported
by the AAPG, was passed in Texas that will require
licensing of geologists, geophysicists, and soil scientists.
The practice of petroleum and mining geology (energy
and mineral resource exploration and production) are
exempted from licensure. However many geologists and
geophysicists currently practicing in the exempted fields
may wish to license in Texas for various reasons. A
"grandfathering" phase will be initiated in November,
2002 which will continue until September 1, 2003.
During this "grandfathering" period an examination will
not be required to become licensed. After September 1,
2003, passage of an examination will be required in
order to be licensed in Texas.
The Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists is seeking a reliable estimate of potential licensees in order to determine licensing fees. The fees on which the Board's revenue forecast and operating budget are based, depend on the number of licenses to be issued. If you plan to license in Texas, please click on the link below and participate in the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists survey online at:
www.tbpg.state.tx.us/survey.asp
This is a SHORT survey form and will require only a few seconds to complete. Your participation in the survey will not obligate you to license in Texas. The only purpose of the survey is to develop a credible estimate of potential numbers of licensees for the purposes stated above. Please pass this survey notification on to your colleagues and co-workers, both in and out of Texas. Please direct any questions specific to licensure in Texas to Mr. Kevin Coleman, Chairman, Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists at wkc@birch.net
(Posted May 31, 2002)
The Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (Board) needs an estimate of the number
of geo-license applicants, to facilitate fee determination, estimating revenues,
and developing their operating budget. They need this estimate for ALL geos, in and out of state,
planning to apply for TX geo licensure.
Click here for details
(Posted March 1, 2002)
Registration Update printed in the March 2002 Buletin
Click here to read the article.
(Posted September 3, 2001)
Registration Update printed in the September, 2001 Buletin
Click here to read the article.
(Posted August 22, 2001, 2001)
The governor needs to appoint the board by
November 1, 2001, and the board must hold its first meeting by January 1,
2002. The board must adopt the rules and procedures to put the Act into
effect (application process, etc.) by September 1, 2002. No license is
required until September 1, 2003 . Therefore, the "grandfathering" period
will likely run from September 1, 2002 to September 1, 2003.
(Posted May 17, 2001, 2001)
The next order of business is for the Governor to appoint the nine board members and
that must be completed by November 1, 2001.
(Posted February 27, 2001)
The geoscience registration bill was passed by the Senate last week by a 29
to 2 vote. It will be referred to the House Licensing and Administrative
Procedures Committee, where it will substituted for HB 1012. It was amended
on the floor of the Senate by Sen. Wentworth to include licensed
geoscientists in a bill that was passed during the last legislative session
pertaining to groundwater assessment for new subdivisions
(Posted February 23, 2001)
Today the Geo Practices Act ("licensure" bill"), SB405 was read, debated,
and voted on by the Texas Senate - and was passed, 29 to 2, with minor,
favorable amendment. It has been sent to the House. Our House sponsor,
Rep. Tony Goolsby, will introduce it to replace its House companion
bill, HB1012.
SB405 will first go to the House Licensing and Administrative Procedures (LAP) Committee for hearing. When favorably voted out of LAP, it goes to the full House, possibly via the Calendars Committee. NOW is the time to contact your Rep and all members of the LAP committee asking for their affirmative vote and that they place the bill on the Local and Consent Calendar - the fast track to the House floor, bypassing the Calendars Committee. Your supportive contact to House members is particularly important, because in past efforts our bill has been defeated in the House.
Final version of the bill as Enacted by the 77th Legislature, Effective Date: September 1, 2001, Click here. (posted here on July 10, 2001)
HGS Bulletin Articles
Read the AAPG Policy statement on Texas State Geoscience Registration (dated October 30, 2000)
"International Challenges will Confront State Licensure" by: Trevor R. Ellis, CPG-06740, Ellis International Services, Inc., Denver, Colorado. Printed in The Professional Geologist December, 2000, p 9-12
Go to the other HGS Forums.
Click here
to go to the HGS Forum and input your comments on the Texas State Geoscience Registration Bill.