GATHERING ASSAULT ON PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE Continued from page 7
will make sure the recommendation to do so does not stand.” At a JCC meeting a short time after the Governor’s state- ment, the Committee voted to drop the issue of delicensing engineers. “Governor Pence’s public support was essential to help these other decision-makers see the value in retaining engineer licensing,” says ACEC/Indiana Executive Director Beth Bauer.
Licensing opponents took a much broader approach in Arkansas in 2016.
“It was a real fight,” says FTN Associates’ Ford. “They introduced what they described as a `Right to Work’ bill that said that anybody who felt they were qualified to do something could do that job. It didn’t wipe out existing licenses, but you would no longer have needed one to work in the state, and it covered everything, from plumbers to doctors to engineers.”
Again, the engineering community, led by ACEC/Arkansas, was quick to respond.
“We were extremely active,” says Ford. “Our members contacted their legislators and told them it was not a good bill and it was not good for the state. We worked with the state Chamber of Commerce and together we kept the bill
from making it to the floor of the House.” Start Early
Though the anti-licensing effort failed in Arkansas, looking ahead to 2017, Ford says,
“I would not be at all surprised if it doesn’t raise its ugly head again.”
Folk expects to see delicensing efforts expand to many other states: “This is now an issue at the national level because we have a lot of people who have come into power who think it is their mission to cut the size of state govern- ment,” Folk says.
Given that reality, these experienced veterans have some advice on how to defeat de-licensing.
“Start early,” says Folk. “Don’t wait until a bill is introduced. Take steps now to be prepared.”
He recommends that Member Organizations confer with their state licensing board and responsible legisla- tors to assure that the structure, com- position and operations of their board comply with the Supreme Court’s North Carolina Board of Dental Examiners decision.
“Look at the existing board structure, rules, and how it enforces its statutes,” Folk says, “make sure it’s balanced, protecting the public interest, and is not susceptible to anti-trust challenges. Independent review of board rules for their market impact and the avail- ability of independent administrative law judges to decide disciplinary and unauthorized practice cases also satisfy antitrust concerns while not undermin- ing a board’s unique role in regulating professional practice.”
Build as broad a base of support as you can, says Snider. ACEC/Indiana brought the Indiana Association of Cities and Towns and the National Federation of Independent Businesses into their coalition and had verbal support from the Chamber of Commerce. “The coali- tion was a key factor,” he says. “Having other stakeholders who weren’t PEs
Update on the NLG Category from President Adam Heft
The name of the newest AIPG member category, which has been circulated as the NLG, or Nationally Licensed Geologist, will be changing. The NLG should be considered an interim name; a new name will be forthcoming soon. This change is needed to avoid confusion and potential legal issues connected with the word “licensed”. The qualifications for the member category will remain the same. Stay tuned for additional information!
demonstrated that the issue reached beyond those who were affected.”
Bartlett says one of best decisions AIPG made in Arizona was to hire lobby- ists. “They provided strate- gies for a grass-roots letter writing campaign, set up meetings with the bill writ- ers, and arranged for several of us to testify before the House and Senate commit- tees.”
In discussions with legislators and in testimony, two messages had the most impact.
“Public health and safety is a powerful argument. Ask them if they would like to choose between a licensed or unlicensed doctor,” says Folk. “When you bring it down to the level of their lives and their health, they quickly understand why licensing is necessary.”
Reciprocity also carries a lot of weight. “If a legislature deregulates the practice of engineering, firms in a deregulat- ed state cannot gain reciprocity regis- trations in other states because their licenses are not comparable,” says Folk. “Delicensing hurts the businesses in their own state.”
The campaign to defend professional licensure continues, and ACEC and the Member Organizations will continue to work in close cooperation to meet the challenges head-on.
AIPG Membership Totals As of CPG / Active
CPG / Non-Practicing Prof. Member
Associate Member Young Professional Student Adjunct TOTALS
42 TPG •
Oct.Nov.Dec 2017
10/3/2016 3,104 447 904 49
112
3,261 7,900
As of
10/3/2017 2,961 462 882 60
114
2,677 7,190
www.aipg.org
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