OLYMPIA – Keeping up with the latest advances in one’s field simply makes excellent common sense. That very truism is especially true for careers packing a potentially huge impact on public health, safety and peace of mind.
State Rep. Derek Stanford maintains that professional engineers shouldn’t be any different from their peers, such as men and women who are involved in land-surveying, for example.
“Continuing professional development is a basic and very important requirement for many professions,” Stanford said. So the Bothell legislator is prime-sponsoring a measure to bring engineers under the same requirements as land surveyors in terms of professional development. Registered engineers would be called upon to complete at least 15 hours of continuing professional development a year, according to Stanford’s legislation.
The measure actually cleared the state House of Representatives last year, 57-40, but it didn’t make it through the state Senate ahead of the final 2011 gavel. Late this morning, the legislation again cleared the House, this time by a vote of 66-29, and it’s now headed to the Senate for more 2012 discussion.
“This is a straightforward proposal to bring engineers under the same requirements as land surveyors and architects,” Stanford explained. “Engineers and land surveyors have the same regulator, and the state Board of Registration for Engineers and Land Surveyors shouldn’t have any problem implementing this upgrade.”
“We appreciate the leadership by Representative Stanford in sponsoring this measure and working it through the process,” said Larry Costich, PE, Chairman of the Architects & Engineers Legislative Council. “We recognize that practicing engineers must remain current with changes in regulations and advancements in technology. House Bill 1900 helps ensure that engineers maintain the high standard of care for the benefit of the public’s health, safety and welfare by promoting opportunities and defining mechanisms available for life-long professional development.
“With today’s complex building environment,” Costich continued, “it makes sense for the Legislature to ensure that professional engineers in Washington maintain their proficiency by joining the engineers in 40 other states who currently document continuing-education credits.”