To amend sections 4733.15 and 4733.16 and to enact section 4733.151 of the Revised Code to increase the annual renewal of registration fee for professional engineers and professional surveyors, to implement continuing professional development requirements for registration renewals of professional engineers and surveyors beginning in calendar year 2008, and to modify requirements concerning the type of professional designated to be responsible for decisions of a professional engineering or professional surveying business.

Section 1. That sections 4733.15 and 4733.16 be amended and section 4733.151 of the Revised Code be enacted to read as follows:

Sec. 4733.15.  (A) Registration expires annually on the last day of December following initial registration or renewal of registration and becomes invalid on that date unless renewed pursuant to this section and the standard renewal procedure of sections 4745.01 to 4745.03 of the Revised Code. Renewal may be effected at any time prior to the date of expiration for a period of one year by the applicant's paying payment to the treasurer of state of a fee of sixteen twenty dollars for a renewal of registration as either a professional engineer or professional surveyor and, for renewals for calendar year 2008 and thereafter, demonstration of completion of the continuing professional development requirements of section 4733.151 of the Revised Code. When notified as required in this section, a registrant's failure to renew registration shall not deprive the registrant of the right of renewal within the following twelve months, but the fee to renew a registration within twelve months after expiration shall be increased fifty per cent, and the registrant shall certify completion of continuing professional development hours as required in section 4733.151 of the Revised Code. The

The state board of registration for professional engineers and surveyors may, upon request, waive the payment of the renewal fees of or the completion of continuing professional development requirements for a registrant during the period when the registrant is on active duty in connection with any branch of the armed forces of the United States.

(B) Each certificate of authorization issued pursuant to section 4733.16 of the Revised Code shall authorize the holder to provide professional engineering or professional surveying services, through the registered professional engineer or professional surveyor designated as being in responsible charge of the professional engineering or professional surveying practice, from the date of issuance until the last day of June next succeeding the date upon which the certificate was issued, unless the certificate has been revoked or suspended for cause as provided in section 4733.20 of the Revised Code or has been suspended pursuant to section 3123.47 of the Revised Code.

(C) If a registrant fails to renew registration within one year from the date of expiration as provided under division (A) of this section, its renewal and reinstatement may be effected under rules promulgated by the board adopts regarding requirements for reexamination or reapplication, and reinstatement penalty fees. The board may require a registrant who fails to renew registration to complete those hours of continuing professional development required from the effective date of this section, as a condition of renewal and reinstatement if the registrant seeks renewal and reinstatement under this division on or after January 1, 2009.

Sec. 4733.151. (A) Each registrant for renewal for calendar year 2008 and thereafter shall have completed, within the preceding calendar year, at least fifteen hours of continuing professional development for professional engineers and surveyors.

(B) The continuing professional development requirement may be satisfied by coursework or activities dealing with technical, ethical, or managerial topics relevant to the practice of engineering or surveying. A registrant may earn continuing professional development hours by completing or teaching university or college level coursework, attending seminars, workshops, or conferences, authoring relevant published papers, articles, or books, receiving patent awards, or actively participating in professional or technical societies serving the engineering or surveying professions.

In the case of the board disputing the content of any credit hours or coursework, then the board shall presume as a matter of law that any credit hours submitted by a registrant, or any coursework or activity submitted for approval complies with this section if submitted and a statement signed by a current registrant not otherwise participating in the event, affirms that the material is relevant to the registrant's practice and will assist the registrant's development in the profession.

Credit for university or college level coursework shall be based on the credit established by the university or college. One semester hour as established by the university or college shall be the equivalent of forty-five hours of continuing professional development, and one quarter hour as established by the university or college shall be the equivalent of thirty hours of continuing professional development.

Credit for seminars, workshops, or conferences offering continuing education units shall be based on the units awarded by the organization presenting the seminar, workshop, or conference. A registrant may earn ten continuing professional development hours for each continuing education unit awarded. Each hour of attendance at a seminar, workshop, or conference for which no continuing education units are offered shall be the equivalent of one continuing professional development hour.

A registrant may earn two continuing professional development hours for each year of service as an officer or active committee member of a professional or technical society or association that represents registrants or entities composed of registrants. A registrant may earn ten continuing professional development hours for authoring relevant published papers, articles, or books. A registrant may earn ten continuing professional development hours for each such published paper, article, or book. A registrant may earn ten continuing professional development hours for each patent award.

(C) A person registered as both a professional engineer and professional surveyor shall complete at least five of the fifteen hours required under division (A) of this section in engineering-related coursework or activities and at least five of those fifteen hours in surveying-related coursework or activities.

(D) A registrant is exempt from the requirements of this section during the first calendar year of registration.

(E) A registrant who completes more than fifteen hours of approved coursework or activities in any calendar year may carry forward to the next calendar year a maximum of fifteen of the excess hours.

(F) A registrant shall maintain records to demonstrate completion of the continuing professional development requirements specified in this section for a period of three calendar years beyond the year in which certification of the completion of the requirements is obtained by the registrant. The records shall include all of the following:

(1) A log specifying the type of coursework or activity, its location and duration along with the instructor's name, and the number of continuing professional development hours earned;

(2) Certificates of completion or other evidence verifying attendance.

(G) The records specified in division (F) of this section may be audited at any time by the state board of registration for professional engineers and surveyors. If the board discovers that a registrant has failed to complete coursework or activities, it shall notify the registrant of the deficiencies and allow the registrant six months from the date of the notice to rectify the deficiencies and to provide the board with evidence of satisfactory completion of the continuing professional development requirements. If the registrant fails to provide such evidence within that six-month period, the board may revoke or suspend the registration after offering an adjudication hearing in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code.

Sec. 4733.16.  (A) A firm, partnership, association, limited liability company, or corporation may provide professional engineering or professional surveying services in this state as long as the services are provided only through natural persons registered to provide those services in the state, subject to the exemptions in sections 4733.17 and 4733.18 of the Revised Code and subject otherwise to the requirements of this chapter.

(B) No firm, partnership, association, limited liability company, or corporation, except a corporation that was granted a charter prior to August 7, 1943, to engage in providing professional engineering or professional surveying services in this state or that was otherwise lawfully providing engineering services in this state prior to November 15, 1982, shall engage in providing professional engineering or professional surveying services, hold itself out to the public as being engaged in providing professional engineering or professional surveying services, or use a name including one or more of the words "engineer," "engineering," "surveyor," or "surveying" or any modification or derivation of those words, unless the firm, partnership, association, limited liability company, or corporation obtains a certificate of authorization from the state board of registration for professional engineers and surveyors and files all information required to be filed under this section with the state board of registration for professional engineers and surveyors and otherwise complies with all requirements of this chapter. A nonprofit membership corporation may use a name including one or more of the words "engineer," "engineering," "surveyor," or "surveying" or any modification or derivation of those words without complying with this section.

(C) A corporation may be organized under Chapter 1701. of the Revised Code, a professional association may be organized under Chapter 1785. of the Revised Code, or a limited liability company may be formed under Chapter 1705. of the Revised Code for the purpose of providing professional engineering, professional surveying, architectural, or landscape architectural services or any combination of those services. A corporation organized under Chapter 1701. of the Revised Code for the purpose of providing those services also may be organized for any other purpose in accordance with that chapter.

(D) Each firm, partnership, association, limited liability company, or corporation through which professional engineering or professional surveying services are offered or provided in this state shall designate one or more full-time partners, managers, members, officers, or directors as being responsible for and in responsible charge of the professional engineering or professional surveying activities and decisions, and those designated persons shall be registered in this state. In the case of a corporation holding a certificate of authorization provided for in division (E) of this section, at least one of the persons so designated shall be a director of the corporation. Each firm, partnership, association, limited liability company, or corporation shall annually file with the state board of registration for professional engineers and surveyors the name and address of all owners and all persons designated as being in responsible charge of the professional engineering or professional surveying activities and decisions and any other information the board may require.

(E) The state board of registration for professional engineers and surveyors shall issue a certificate of authorization to each firm, partnership, association, limited liability company, or corporation that satisfies the requirements of this chapter, including providing information that the board may require pursuant to division (D) of this section.

(F) This section does not modify any law applicable to the relationship between a person furnishing a professional service and a person receiving that service, including liability arising out of that service.

(G) Nothing in this section shall restrict or limit in any manner the authority or duty of the state board of registration for professional engineers and surveyors with respect to natural persons providing professional services or any law or rule pertaining to standards of professional conduct.

(H) Corporations, partnerships, associations, limited liability companies, or firms organized under the laws of another state or country wishing to provide professional engineering or professional surveying services shall obtain a certificate of authorization and meet the applicable requirements of this section.

Section 2. That existing sections 4733.15 and 4733.16 of the Revised Code are hereby repealed.