South Carolina General Assembly
106th Session, 1985-1986

Bill 3540


                    Current Status

Bill Number:               3540
Ratification Number:       464
Act Number:                420
Introducing Body:          House
Subject:                   Relating to engineers and land
                           surveyors
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(Text matches printed bills. Document has been reformatted to meet World Wide Web specifications.)

(A420, R464, H3540)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTION 40-21-10, AS AMENDED, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO ENGINEERS AND LAND SURVEYORS, SO AS TO CHANGE THE DEFINITION OF "PRACTICE OF LAND SURVEYING" SO AS TO EXPAND THE DEFINITION, INCLUDE THE WORK A TIER B LAND SURVEYOR MAY PERFORM AND DEFINE THE TERM "ABET" AS MEANING THE ACCREDITATION BOARD FOR ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY; TO AMEND THE 1976 CODE BY ADDING SECTION 40-21-195 SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE QUALIFICATION FOR A TIER B LAND SURVEYOR; TO AMEND SECTION 40-21-200, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A LAND SURVEYOR, SO AS TO ESTABLISH THE QUALIFICATIONS OF A TIER A LAND SURVEYOR; TO AMEND SECTION 40-21-206, RELATING TO THE QUALIFICATIONS FOR A SURVEYOR-IN-TRAINING, SO AS TO REQUIRE THAT APPLICANTS MUST MEET THE STANDARDS OF THE ACCREDITATION BOARD FOR ENGINEERS AND TECHNOLOGY AND TO DELETE THE REQUIREMENT THAT AN APPLICANT MUST BE A GRADUATE OF A HIGH SCHOOL OR POSSESS A STATE EQUIVALENCY CERTIFICATE; TO PROVIDE THAT ANY PERSON REGISTERED AS A SURVEYOR-IN-TRAINING UNDER THE PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER 21 OF TITLE 40 AS IT EXISTED PRIOR TO THE EFFECTIVE DATE OF THIS ACT OR WHO MAY BE REGISTERED OR WHO CAN PROVIDE EVIDENCE SATISFACTORY TO THE BOARD OF REGISTRATION FOR PROFESSIONAL ENGINEERS AND LAND SURVEYORS MAY BE REGISTERED AS A TIER A LAND SURVEYOR BY PASSING THE WRITTEN OR WRITTEN AND ORAL EXAMINATIONS IN THE PRINCIPLES AND PRACTICES IN TIER A OF LAND SURVEYING AS MAY BE PROVIDED BY THE BOARD; AND TO PROVIDE THAT THE BOARD SHALL PROMULGATE REGULATIONS EFFECTUATING THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ACT.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Definition

SECTION 1. Subsection (7) of Section 40-21-10 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 116 of 1983, is further amended to read:

"(7) (a) The term 'practice of land surveying' as used in this chapter includes measuring and locating lines, angles, elevations, natural and man-made features in the air, on the surface of the earth, within underground workings, or on the beds of bodies of water for the purpose of determining areas and volumes, for the monumenting of property boundaries, and for the platting and laying out of lands and subdivisions thereof, including the topographic alignment and grades of streets and for the preparation of maps, plats, and property descriptions that represent the surveys.

The practice of land surveying includes, but is not limited to, establishing the horizontal and vertical control for aerial surveys and photogrammetric compilation; astronomical observations for the determination of the true azimuth; layout of proposed improvements, including land development plans, site plans, subdivision plans, profiles, typical sections, and cross sections for streets; measurements for and preparation of plans showing existing improvements after construction, including condominium plot plans; measurements for and preparation of topographic maps and surveys; and preparation of descriptions and plans for use in legal instruments of conveyance of real property and property rights.

(b) In addition to the work described in subsection (a) of this section, a TIER B land surveyor may, for subdivisions, prepare and furnish subdivision plans for sedimentation and erosion control and storm drainage systems, if the systems do not require the structural design of system components and are restricted to the use, where relevant, of any standards prescribed by local, state, or federal authorities."

Definition

SECTION 2. Section 40-21-10 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 116 of 1983, is further amended by adding:

"(9) The term 'ABET' means the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology."

Qualifications for TIER B land surveyor

SECTION 3. The 1976 Code is amended by adding:

"Section 40-21-195. The minimum evidence satisfactory to the Board that an applicant is qualified for registration as a TIER B land surveyor is:

Graduation from a school or college of four or more years with a bachelor of science degree including in the curriculum not less than fifteen semester hours or the equivalent in quarter hours of surveying, mapping, and hydrology courses satisfactory to the Board, or a bachelor of engineering technology degree in an ABET accredited curriculum of land surveying or engineering technology including in the curriculum not less than twelve semester hours or the equivalent in quarter hours of surveying, mapping, and hydrology courses satisfactory to the Board, and a specific record of two or more years of progressive practical experience of a character satisfactory to the Board and performed under a practicing registered land surveyor or other comparable and equivalent supervision, and has passed the land surveyor-in-training fundamentals of land surveying examinations and the written or written and oral examinations in the principles and practices of TIER B land surveying as prescribed by the Board."

Qualifications for TIER A land surveyor

SECTION 4. Section 40-21-200 of the 1976 Code, as last amended by Act 105 of 1977, is further amended to read:

"Section 40-21-200. The minimum evidence satisfactory to the Board that an applicant is qualified for registration as a TIER A land surveyor is:

(A) Graduation from a school or college of two years or more with an associate degree in an ABET accredited curriculum of engineering technology or land surveying, including completed surveying courses of a character satisfactory to the Board, and a specific record of four years or more of progressive practical experience of a character satisfactory to the Board and performed under a practicing registered land surveyor or other comparable and equivalent supervision, and has passed the land surveyor-in-training fundamentals of land surveying examinations and the written or written and oral examinations in the principles and practices of TIER A land surveying as prescribed by the Board; or

(B) Graduation from a school or college of four or more years with a bachelor of science degree or a bachelor of engineering technology degree in an ABET accredited curriculum of land surveying or engineering technology including completed courses in surveying and mapping of not less than twelve semester hours or the equivalent in quarter hours satisfactory to the Board, and a specific record of two or more years of progressive practical experience of a character satisfactory to the Board and performed under a practicing registered land surveyor or other comparable and equivalent supervision and has passed the land surveyor-in-training fundamentals of land surveying examinations and the written or written and oral examinations in the principles and practices of TIER A land surveying as prescribed by the Board.

Persons registered as land surveyors on the effective date of this section are classified TIER A land surveyors and are allowed to practice surveying in the TIER B classification as described in item (b) of subsection (7) of Section 40-21-10 only after passing the written examination as prescribed by the Board in the additional duties of a TIER B land surveyor, except those who are also registered as professional engineers. Persons registered as both land surveyors and professional engineers on the effective date of this section are classified TIER B land surveyors. Persons applying for registration as a TIER B land surveyor that are not registered land surveyors on the effective date of this act must be required to meet the four-year educational requirement in Section 40-21-195."

Qualifications for land surveyor-in-training

SECTION 5. Section 40-21-206 of the 1976 Code, as added by Act 105 of 1977, is amended to read:

"Section 40-21-206. The minimum evidence satisfactory to the Board that an applicant is qualified for registration as a land surveyor-in-training is:

(1) Graduation from a school or college of four or more years with a bachelor of science degree or a bachelor of engineering technology degree in an ABET accredited curriculum of land surveying or engineering technology including in the curriculum not less than twelve semester hours or the equivalent in quarter hours of surveying, mapping, and hydrology courses satisfactory to the Board, and a specific record of one or more years of progressive practical experience of a character satisfactory to the Board and performed under a practicing registered land surveyor or other comparable and equivalent supervision and has passed the written or written and oral examinations in the fundamentals of land surveying as prescribed by the Board; or

(2) Graduation from a school or college of two years or more with an associate degree in an ABET accredited curriculum of engineering technology or land surveying, including completed surveying courses of a character satisfactory to the Board, and a specific record of three years or more of progressive practical experience of a character satisfactory to the Board, and performed under a practicing registered land surveyor or other comparable and equivalent supervision, and has passed the written or written and oral examinations in the fundamentals of land surveying as prescribed by the Board."

Written and oral examination

SECTION 6. (A) Any person registered as a surveyor-in-training under Chapter 21 of Title 40 of the 1976 Code as it existed prior to the effective date of this act, or who may be registered as a surveyor-in-training under subsection (B) of this section, may be registered as a TIER A land surveyor by passing the written or written and oral examinations in the principles and practices of TIER A land surveying as prescribed by the Board.

(B) Any person who can provide evidence satisfactory to the Board that they were in the process of meeting the qualifications for surveyor-in-training as of the effective date of this act may be registered as a surveyor-in-training under Section 40-21-206 as it existed prior to the effective date of this act.

Regulations

SECTION 7. The board shall promulgate regulations defining the scope of the additional powers granted to TIER B land surveyors in item (b) of subsection (7) of Section 40-21-10 of the 1976 Code.

Time effective

SECTION 8. This act shall take effect upon approval by the Governor.