Texas. Board of Professional Engineers

In March 1937, a faulty gas connection caused a school explosion in New London, Texas that killed an estimated 298 people. Public pressure called for legislation to register engineers since it was believed that poor engineering had been at least partly to blame for the accident. The Texas State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers was created by Senate Bill 74, 45th Legislature, Regular Session, in 1937. This law, named the Texas Engineering Practice Act, prohibited any person from practicing or offering to practice as an engineer unless licensed by the board.

The board continues to examine and license applicants as professional engineers and to enforce the rules and regulations established and defined by the act. The board has two certification levels: Engineer-in-Training and Registered Professional Engineer. The education and professional qualifications of applicants are examined through reviews of documents and records, by written and oral examinations as needed, and by the evaluation of reference statements. Graduates with approved engineering degrees are required to pass examinations and have four years of engineering experience, and graduates of other engineering-related programs must pass examinations and have eight years of engineering experience to obtain licenses.

Enforcement activities protect the public by eliminating unqualified practitioners and by ensuring the performance standards of those with licenses. Voluntary compliance programs are augmented by legal and license revocation proceedings, if necessary.

The board prepares a roster, published each biennium, of the names and places of business of all registered professional engineers. The board may recognize, prepare, or administer continuing education programs, but participation in the programs is voluntary.

The policy-making body of the agency is a nine-member board, appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the senate for overlapping six-year terms. Each of the six professional engineer members must have been a U.S. citizen and a Texas resident for at least ten years before appointment and must have been engaged in the practice of the profession of engineering or in engineering teaching for at least ten years. Three members represent the general public. These are non-salaried positions, and members elect the chair.

In 1997, the name was changed to Texas Board of Professional Engineers. Currently, the board has the following committees: Audit Ad Hoc Committee, Enforcement Committee, General Issues Committee, Legislative Issues Committee, Licensing Committee, Licensing Waiver Review Committee, Nominating Committee, Policy Advisory Committee, Policy Advisory Opinion Committee, and Joint TBPE/TBAE (Texas Board of Professional Engineers/Texas Board of Architectural Examiners) Committee.

(Sources include: Guide to Texas State Agencies, 11th edition, 2001; and agency website at http://www.tbpe.state.tx.us/index.htm, accessed October 2006.)