1st Engrossment - 80th Legislature (1997 - 1998) Posted on 12/15/2009 12:00am
1.1 A bill for an act 1.2 relating to professions; modifying provisions relating 1.3 to the board of architecture, engineering, land 1.4 surveying, landscape architecture, geoscience, and 1.5 interior design; amending Minnesota Statutes 1996, 1.6 sections 326.03, subdivision 1; 326.04; 326.05; 1.7 326.07; 326.09; 326.10, subdivisions 2 and 7; 326.13; 1.8 and 599.14; proposing coding for new law in Minnesota 1.9 Statutes, chapter 326; repealing Minnesota Statutes 1.10 1996, section 326.08. 1.11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 1.12 Section 1. Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 326.03, 1.13 subdivision 1, is amended to read: 1.14 Subdivision 1. [PLANS; DOCUMENTS.] (a) No person, except 1.15 an architect, engineer, land surveyor, landscape architect, 1.16 geoscientist, or certified interior designer, licensed or 1.17 certified as provided for in sections 326.02 to 326.15 shall 1.18 practice architecture, professional engineering, land surveying, 1.19 landscape architecture, or professional geoscience, or use the 1.20 title certified interior designer, respectively, in the 1.21 preparation of plans, specifications, reports, plats or other 1.22 architectural, engineering, land surveying, landscape 1.23 architectural, geoscientific, or interior design documents, or 1.24 in the observation of architectural, engineering, land 1.25 surveying, landscape architectural, geoscientific, or interior 1.26 design projects. In preparation of such documents, reasonable 1.27 care shall be given to compliance with applicable laws, 1.28 ordinances, and building codes relating to design. 2.1 (b) The ownership of original documents, as instruments of 2.2 professional service, shall be retained by the licensee, 2.3 certificate holder, or firm responsible for the preparation of 2.4 the document. An original document is one that has the original 2.5 seal and signature. Reproducible copies of these originals 2.6 shall be made available, upon request, to the project owner. 2.7 Sec. 2. Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 326.04, is 2.8 amended to read: 2.9 326.04 [BOARD OF ARCHITECTURE, ENGINEERING, LAND SURVEYING, 2.10 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE, GEOSCIENCE, AND INTERIOR DESIGN.] 2.11 To carry out the provisions of sections 326.02 to 326.15 2.12 there is hereby created a board of architecture, engineering, 2.13 land surveying, landscape architecture, geoscience, and interior 2.14 design consisting of 21 members, who shall be appointed by the 2.15 governor. Three members shall be licensed architects, five 2.16 members shall be licensed engineers, two members shall be 2.17 licensed landscape architects, two members shall be licensed 2.18 land surveyors, two members shall be certified interior 2.19 designers, two members shall be licensed geoscientists, and five 2.20 members shall be public members. Not more than one member of 2.21 the board shall be from the same branch of the profession of 2.22 engineering. The first professional geoscientist members shall 2.23 be appointed as soon as possible and no later than October 1, 2.24 1995. One of these members shall serve for a term to end 2.25 January 1, 1997. The other member shall serve for a term to end 2.26 January 1, 1999. The second licensed landscape architect and 2.27 certified interior designer members shall be appointed to 2.28 succeed the two public members whose terms end on January 1, 2.29 1996. The second licensed landscape architect and certified 2.30 interior designer members shall be appointed by the governor no 2.31 later than October 1, 1995, and shall serve a term to end on 2.32 January 1, 2000. During the time from the appointment of these 2.33 members until January 1, 1996, the board shall consist of 23 2.34 members. Membership terms, compensation of members, removal of 2.35 members, the filling of membership vacancies, and fiscal year 2.36 and reporting requirements shall be as provided in sections 3.1 214.07 to 214.09. Members shall be limited to two terms. The 3.2 provision of staff, administrative services and office space; 3.3 the review and processing of complaints; the setting of board 3.4 fees; and other provisions relating to board operations shall be 3.5 as provided in chapter 214. 3.6 Sec. 3. Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 326.05, is 3.7 amended to read: 3.8 326.05 [QUALIFICATIONS OF BOARD MEMBERS.] 3.9 Each member of the board shall be a resident of this state 3.10 at the time of and throughout the member's appointment. Each 3.11 member except the public members shall have been engaged in the 3.12 practice of the relevant profession for at least ten years and 3.13 shall have been in responsible charge of professional work 3.14 requiring licensure as an architect, engineer, land surveyor, 3.15 landscape architect, or geoscientist, or certification as an 3.16 interior designer for at least five years.Each such member3.17shall be a member in good standing of a recognized society of3.18architects, engineers, land surveyors, landscape architects,3.19geoscientists, or interior designers; and, except as provided in3.20section 326.06, shall be a licensed architect, licensed3.21engineer, licensed land surveyor, licensed landscape architect,3.22licensed geoscientists, or certified interior designer. The3.23certified interior design member must have passed the National3.24Council for Interior Design Qualifications test.3.25 Sec. 4. Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 326.07, is 3.26 amended to read: 3.27 326.07 [BOARD, MEETINGS OF, OFFICERS, QUORUM.] 3.28 The board shall hold meetings at such timesas the bylaws3.29ofthe boardmay provideshall specify. Notice of all meetings 3.30 shall be given in such manner as the bylaws may provide as 3.31 described in section 471.705. The board shall elect annually 3.32 from its members a chair, a vice-chair, a secretary and a 3.33 treasurer. A quorum of the board shall consist ofnot less than3.3411 members, of whom four shall be architects, landscape3.35architects, land surveyors, or certified interior designers,3.36four engineers or geoscientists, and three public membersa 4.1 majority of members of the board qualified to vote on the matter 4.2 in question. 4.3 Sec. 5. Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 326.09, is 4.4 amended to read: 4.5 326.09 [RECORDS OF BOARD.] 4.6 The board shall keep a record of its proceedings and a 4.7 register of all applicants for licensing, showing for each the 4.8 date of application, name, age, educational and other 4.9 qualifications, place of business, and the place of residence, 4.10 whether or not an examination was required and whether the 4.11 applicant was rejected or a license granted, and the date of 4.12 such action. The books and register of the board shall be prima 4.13 facie evidence of all matters recorded therein. A roster 4.14 showing the names and places of business or of residence of all 4.15 licensed architects, engineers, land surveyors, landscape 4.16 architects, geoscientists, and certified interior designers 4.17 shall be preparedby the executive secretary of the board during4.18the month of July, of each even numbered year. Roster4.19supplements listing newly licensed persons shall be published4.20semiannually between publications of the biennial roster4.21 annually. Rosters may be printed out of the funds of the board,4.22as provided in section 326.08. 4.23 Sec. 6. Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 326.10, 4.24 subdivision 2, is amended to read: 4.25 Subd. 2. [EXAMINATION.] The board, or a committee of the 4.26 board, may subject any applicant for licensure or certification 4.27 to such examinations as may be deemed necessary to establish 4.28 qualifications. 4.29 In determining the qualificationsin such casesof 4.30 applicantsfor licensure as architects, a majority vote of the4.31architect members of the board only shall be required; in4.32determining the qualifications in such cases of applicants for4.33licensure as engineers, a majority vote of the engineer members4.34of the board only, shall be required; in determining the4.35qualifications of applicants for registration as land surveyors,4.36the affirmative vote of the land surveyor member and of one5.1engineer of the board only, shall be required; in determining5.2the qualifications of applicants for licensure as landscape5.3architects, the affirmative vote of the landscape architect5.4member of the board and of one architect member or one civil5.5engineer member of the board only, shall be required; and in5.6determining the qualifications of applicants for certification5.7as certified interior designers, the affirmative vote of the5.8interior designer member of the board, of two public members,5.9and of one architect or engineer member of the board only, is5.10required; and in determining the qualifications of applicants5.11for registration as geoscientists, only the affirmative vote of5.12the two geoscientist members of the board is required, at least 5.13 one member determining the qualifications must be licensed or 5.14 certified in the same profession as that being evaluated. 5.15 Sec. 7. Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 326.10, 5.16 subdivision 7, is amended to read: 5.17 Subd. 7. [ENGINEER-IN-TRAINING; LAND SURVEYOR-IN-TRAINING; 5.18 LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT-IN-TRAINING; GEOSCIENTIST-IN-TRAINING.] (1) 5.19 An applicant for certification as an engineer-in-training who is 5.20 a graduate with a bachelor of engineering degree from a school 5.21 or college having an engineering curriculum accredited by the 5.22 engineers' council for professional development or whose 5.23 education, in the opinion of the board, is equivalent thereto, 5.24 shall receive from the board, upon passing an examination in 5.25 fundamental engineering subjects, a certificate stating that the 5.26 applicant has passed such examination and that the applicant's 5.27 name has been recorded as an engineer-in-training. 5.28 (2) An applicant for certification as a land 5.29 surveyor-in-training whohas had a minimum of four years of5.30qualifying experience of a character satisfactory to the board,5.31of which a formal education inis a graduate with a bachelor's 5.32 degree from a school or college having an accredited engineering 5.33 or land surveying curriculummay constitute a part thereofor 5.34 who has equivalent education, in the opinion of the board, shall 5.35 receive from the board, upon passing a written examination in 5.36 the fundamentals of mathematics and the basic principles of land 6.1 surveying, a certificate stating that the applicant has passed 6.2 such examination and that the applicant's name has been recorded 6.3 as a land surveyor-in-training. 6.4 (3) Any applicant for certification as a landscape 6.5 architect-in-training who is a graduate with a degree from a 6.6 school or college having a landscape architecture curriculum 6.7 accredited by the American Society of Landscape Architects 6.8 committee on education or who has had equivalent education or 6.9 experience or a combination thereof of a grade and character 6.10 acceptable to the board shall receive from the board, upon 6.11 passing an examination in fundamental landscape architectural 6.12 subjects, a certificate stating that the applicant has passed 6.13 that examination and that the applicant's name has been recorded 6.14 as a landscape architect-in-training. 6.15 (4) An applicant for certification as a 6.16 geoscientist-in-training who is a graduate with a baccalaureate 6.17 degree from a school or college having accreditation defined by 6.18 the board and a geoscience or associated science curriculum 6.19 approved by the board, shall receive from the board, upon 6.20 passing the appropriate examination in fundamental geoscience 6.21 subjects for the applicant's discipline as approved by the 6.22 board, a certificate stating that the applicant's name has been 6.23 recorded as a geoscientist-in-training with the appropriate 6.24 geoscientist-in-training legend as approved by the board. 6.25 Sec. 8. Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 326.13, is 6.26 amended to read: 6.27 326.13 [PRACTICE EXEMPT.] 6.28 Practice of architecture, engineering, landscape 6.29 architecture, land surveying, or geoscience, or use of the title 6.30 certified interior designer in this state prior to licensure or 6.31 certification by the board shall be permitted under the 6.32 following conditions and limitations: 6.33 (1) By any person or firm not a resident of and having no 6.34 established place of business in this state, or any person or 6.35 firm resident in this state, but whose arrival in the state is 6.36 recent; provided, however, such person or a person connected 7.1 with such firm: 7.2(a)(i) is registered or licensed and qualified to practice 7.3 such profession in a state or country to which the board grants 7.4 registration or licensure by comity in accordance with the 7.5 provisions of section 326.10, subdivision 1, clause (2); and 7.6(b)(ii) shall have filed an application for licensure as 7.7 an architect, an engineer, a geoscientist, or a certified 7.8 interior designer shall have paid the fee provided for in 7.9 section 326.10, and shall have been notified by the board that 7.10 the applicant meets the requirements for licensure or 7.11 certification in this state and is entitled to receive a license 7.12 or certificate, and has applied for and been granted a temporary 7.13 permit to practice. Temporary permits shall be granted to do a 7.14 specific job for the period stipulated on the permit; 7.15(c) notwithstanding the provisions of paragraph (b) and7.16prior to the notification provided for therein, an applicant who7.17meets the requirements of paragraph (a) shall be permitted to7.18practice in this state provided that such practice is limited7.19solely to solicitation of work within the terms of sections7.20326.02 to 326.15;7.21 (2)Practice as an architect, an engineer, a land surveyor,7.22a landscape architect, or geoscientist, or use of the title7.23certified interior designer by any person not a resident of, and7.24having no established place of business in, this state, as a7.25consulting associate of an architect, an engineer, a land7.26surveyor, a landscape architect, or a geoscientist, or use of7.27the title certified interior designer licensed or certified7.28under the provisions of sections 326.02 to 326.15; provided, the7.29nonresident is licensed or certified and qualified to practice7.30the profession in a state or country to which the board grants7.31licensure or certification by comity in accordance with the7.32provisions of section 326.10, subdivision 1, clause (2);By a 7.33 nonresident applicant who seeks to provide architecture, 7.34 engineering, land surveying, landscape architecture, geoscience, 7.35 or certified interior design services in this state if the 7.36 applicant offers to practice only for the purpose of seeking to 8.1 provide services, without having first been registered or 8.2 certified by the state, if the applicant: 8.3 (i) is registered and qualified to practice such profession 8.4 in a state or country to which the board grants registration or 8.5 licensure by comity in accordance with section 326.10, 8.6 subdivision 1, clause (2); 8.7 (ii) notified the board in writing that the applicant is 8.8 not currently registered in this state, but will be present in 8.9 this state for the purpose of seeking to provide services; 8.10 (iii) delivers a copy of the notice referred to in clause 8.11 (ii) to every potential client for whom the applicant is seeking 8.12 to provide services; and 8.13 (iv) applies within ten days to the board for licensure or 8.14 certification if selected as the design professional for a 8.15 project in this state; the applicant is prohibited from actually 8.16 rendering services as defined within the terms of sections 8.17 326.02 to 326.15 until the applicant is licensed or certified, 8.18 or obtains a temporary permit as described in clause (1). 8.19 (3) Practice as an architect, an engineer, a land surveyor, 8.20 a landscape architect, or a geoscientist, or use of the title 8.21 certified interior designer solely as an officer or employee of 8.22 the United States;. 8.23 (4) Practice as a geoscientist by a person who would be 8.24 qualified under sections 326.02 to 326.15 by virtue of 8.25 experience and education while (i) engaged in exploration, 8.26 development, extraction, and reclamation of minerals and mineral 8.27 deposits or energy resources including sand, gravel, peat, 8.28 industrial minerals, metallic minerals, iron ore, coal, oil, and 8.29 gas and other mineral fuels; (ii) an employee of a corporation 8.30 or agency engaged in such exploration, development, extraction, 8.31 and reclamation of minerals and mineral deposits; (iii) acting 8.32 in accordance with the provisions of section 82B.035, 8.33 subdivision 3; 103I.205, subdivision 4; or 103I.601, subdivision 8.34 2; or (iv) engaged in academic geoscience research. 8.35 Sec. 9. [326.141] [GOOD SAMARITAN ACTIONS.] 8.36 A licensed architect, engineer, land surveyor, landscape 9.1 architect, geoscientist, or certified interior designer who 9.2 provides services for which that person is licensed or 9.3 certified, at the scene of a declared national, state, or local 9.4 emergency caused by a major earthquake, hurricane, tornado, 9.5 fire, explosion, or collapse or similar disaster or catastrophic 9.6 event is not liable for any personal injury, wrongful death, 9.7 property damage, or other loss caused by acts, errors, or 9.8 omissions in the performance of services for any structure, 9.9 building, or system either publicly or privately owned if the 9.10 services are provided: 9.11 (1) voluntarily and without compensation; and 9.12 (2) at the request of a national, state, or local public 9.13 official; law enforcement official; public safety official; or 9.14 building inspection official acting in an official capacity. 9.15 The immunity provided applies only to service that occurs 9.16 within 90 days of the emergency, disaster, or catastrophic 9.17 event, unless extended by an executive order issued by the 9.18 governor under the governor's emergency executive powers. 9.19 Nothing in this section provides immunity for wanton, willful, 9.20 or intentional misconduct. 9.21 Sec. 10. Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 599.14, is 9.22 amended to read: 9.23 599.14 [RECORDS OF SURVEYS, EVIDENCE WHEN.] 9.24 Records of surveys made bythe engineering department of9.25 any municipality, including field notes, profiles, plats, plans, 9.26 and other files and records of such department, shall be prima 9.27 facie evidence in all courts of the correctness of the facts 9.28 shown and statements made therein. 9.29 Sec. 11. [REVISOR INSTRUCTION.] 9.30 The revisor shall substitute the words "licensed land 9.31 surveyor" for "registered land surveyor" in Minnesota Statutes, 9.32 sections 160.085; 272.19; 300.045; 326.03; 383B.603; 383D.65; 9.33 462.359; 505.08; 505.1793; 508.23; 508.671; and 515.13. 9.34 Sec. 12. [REPEALER.] 9.35 Minnesota Statutes 1996, section 326.08, is repealed.