# Legislation for practicing engineering



## RIP - VTEnviro (Apr 2, 2007)

I just saw this in the latest ASCE newsletter. Apparently the Vermont House recently passed a bill that stipulates penalties for, among other things, practicing engineering without a license. Kinda interesting to see how your profession is regulated.

From HB 368...



> * * * Professional Engineers * * *
> Sec. 21. 26 V.S.A. § 1162(a) is amended to read:
> 
> (a) No person shall engage in the practice of professional engineering unless he the person is licensed under or exempt from this chapter. A person found guilty of violating this section shall be fined not more than $1,000.00 or imprisoned not more than 30 days, or both, for each occurrence subject to the penalties provided in subsection 127© of Title 3.
> ...


The beer fans on this board will also certainly support House Bill 94 :appl:


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## Slugger926 (Apr 2, 2007)

VTEnviro said:


> I just saw this in the latest ASCE newsletter. Apparently the Vermont House recently passed a bill that stipulates penalties for, among other things, practicing engineering without a license. Kinda interesting to see how your profession is regulated.
> From HB 368...
> 
> The beer fans on this board will also certainly support House Bill 94 :happy:


The fines need to be increased to allow for daily fines. Many corporations would gladly pay $1000 to keep from hiring an engineer for $60,000.

How are they going to enforce the offshoring of engineering services?


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## kevo_55 (Apr 2, 2007)

Sometimes it kinda crazy to see what kind of enforcement actions your state currently has open.

In some states you can't refer to yourself as an engineer in a signed letter unless you passed the PE exam.


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## McEngr (Apr 2, 2007)

kevo_55 said:


> Sometimes it kinda crazy to see what kind of enforcement actions your state currently has open.
> In some states you can't refer to yourself as an engineer in a signed letter unless you passed the PE exam.


The same verbage of $1000 is enforced in my state... or is it $2000? I can't remember which, but it is a shame that the penalties are so low. What if I were a doctor and practiced illegally? Would the penalty be the same? I think not.


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## RIP - VTEnviro (Apr 2, 2007)

kevo_55 said:


> Sometimes it kinda crazy to see what kind of enforcement actions your state currently has open.
> In some states you can't refer to yourself as an engineer in a signed letter unless you passed the PE exam.


An old company I worked for wouldn't put "engineer" on your business card unless you were a PE. They had offices in several states, and the rules were all different, so they just left it out totally.


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## Dleg (Apr 2, 2007)

Since those are amendments, I wonder what the rest of the legislation reads like? Around here, you get a smallish fine for just about any violation of administrative law, but if you then go and violate the order that came with that fine, you face stiffer penalties including criminal charges for "willful violation".


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## Dark Knight (Apr 2, 2007)

In my country there is an engineer trying to make the Department of State, the regulatory agency, grant a professional engineer's license to all engineers with 15 or more years of experience without the need of taking the PE. The lawmakers denied him the first time he tried to present this project thru a legislator, and denied him again last year. He is not a P.E. but signs all his e-mails with his name and P.E. at the end. He knows he is violating the law but keeps doing that but when is time to stamp a print he does not dare to do that because then the govt. will have a case against him.

Since I am not there anymore I don't really care about what he is doing but think that if he wants to have a license then he has to go thru the same process we went, or will go. Just fair. I am not questioning his capabilities or competencies, just his methods.


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