News from the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists

The following is a quick synopsis of the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientist meeting that occurred March 28, 2008 in Austin, Texas.

• A Reciprocity agreement with Mississippi has been signed.  The reciprocity agreement streamlines the process for a license holder in Texas who has taken the ASBOG exam to obtain licensure in Mississippi.  Those that Grandfathered can have the exam waived provided they have practice for five years trouble free.  The board of each respective state reserves the right to require additional examinations and also reserves the right of refusal of a license. The Board will now approach Idaho and California to negotiate reciprocity agreements.  A copy of the agreement can be found here: http://www.tbpg.state.tx.us/reciprocity%20agreement%20MS.pdf

 

• The Board has stated that it favors a reduction of fees based upon age or disability.  The issue is being studied to see if a statute or rule change is needed to make the fee reduction possible.

 

• The Board noted that the rules state that guidelines for pre-approval of Continuing Education course would be developed in 2008.  The board is leaning towards following the example of the Professional Engineering Board which does not pre-approve any courses  that are offered but instead leaves it up to the judgment of the license holder to determine if the course meets the criteria that the Boards has already set forth in the rules.

 

• The Board has stated that 152 firms have registered as a geoscience firm.  According to the Texas Board of Geoscientist “It is mandatory that any firm, corporation, sole-proprietorship, partnership and/or joint stock association that engages or offers to engage in the public practice of geoscience in the state of Texas be registered with TBPG”.  More information concerning firm registration can be found at 22 TAC  §851.30. 

 

• The Board has stated that they would like to add a Geoscientist-In-Training program to the Professional Geoscientist Act.  The Board also would like to see the changes to the Professional Services Code as well.  Draft bills need to be ready by fall.  It was noted that 13 states already have some form of a GIT program in place

 

• The Board is considering additions to the Memorandum of Understanding with the Texas Board of Professional Engineers.  The additions would clarify “work that is both geoscience and engineering” to help better define that issue for licensees of both Boards.

 

• Next meeting  of the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientist will be June 6, 2008