PREPARING FOR GEOLOGY LICENSURE IN NEW YORK - A PROGRESS REPORT

An Act to amend the New York State education law (and associated laws) to provide for the licensing of the profession of geology, became a law on 21 November 2014 and will take effect on 21 November 2016. The new law defines the profession of geology and mandates that “Only a person licensed or otherwise authorized under this article shall practice geology or use the title professional geologist” (from; Article 145, Section 7204-b, NYS Education Law).

Subsequent to the law’s approval, the profession of geology was added to the New York State Board for Engineering and Land Surveying (now the PELS&G Board), and the Board of Regents appointed three geologists representing the public service sector, private practice and academia to assist in the development of regulations and the evaluation of candidates for licensure. Under the provisions of the law, candidates for licensure must be at least 21 years of age, be of good moral character, hold a bachelor’s degree or higher degree in geology, submit an application for licensure and pay all appropriate fees. Furthermore, candidates must meet minimum educational and experience qualifications, and pass standardized professional examinations as specified in the commissioner’s regulations. The development of these regulations has been the primary focus of the PELS&G Board to date. Draft regulations are currently under review by the New York State Education Department (NYSED) with the expectation that they will be submitted to the Board of Regents for review and approval in the spring 2016. NYSED is currently negotiating with the National Association of State Boards of Geology (ASBOG) to administer two licensure-qualifying examinations; an early career “fundamentals of geology exam” and the “practice of geology exam”, which will be taken after the minimum education and experience qualifications have been met. The PELS&G Board has begun development of application materials and preparations for candidate evaluation as part of the “grandfathering” phase of the licensure process.