Engineers Visit Legislators
When Executive Director Joe Jones is traveling in the state, he is setting up meetings with legislators to discuss the pending rewrite of the engineers' and surveyors' practice act.

Thus far, he and five engineers representing ACEC-SC and SCSPE met with Senator Ross Turner in Greenville and he, and two ACEC-SC members met with Representative Nelson Hardwick in Myrtle Beach.

In both meetings, the legislators were told the importance of passing the practice act in full. Sen. Turner is a member of the Senate Labor Commerce and Industry Committee, where the senate version of the bill will be heard, and Representative Hardwick is the main sponsor of the House bill. He is also Chair of the House Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee.

Jones is scheduled to be in Charleston Nov. 14 where he hopes to have ACEC-SC and SCSPE members join him for legislative visits there.

2013 Fall Symposium: “Communications for Design Professionals”
Have you ever been speaking with a client and gotten that look that says, “I have no idea what you are talking about?”  Concerned they are not following you, the client keeps nodding their head as if they understand?  If this has happened to you, then SCSPE has the perfect fix.

Register today for the South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers 2013 Fall Symposium: “Communications for Design Professionals.”  Reggie Hall, Communications Director at the SC Farm Bureau, has been teaching design professionals communication skills for many years.  He helps engineers improve communication with clients by increasing engineers’ verbal, written and electronic communication skills. 

Hall will be leading an all-day session were you can earn 8 PDHs.  SCSPE is hosting the Fall Symposium in two locations. The Symposium will be in Greenville on Nov. 13, 2013 and in Charleston on Nov. 14, 2013.  Lunch is provided.  For more information and to register and/or pay online click here (click the register now button and then choose “View by Location”). 

For those who choose to go to the Fall Symposium in Charleston, the SCSPE Charleston Chapter is inviting you to come to its Chapter Meeting that night.  Joe S. Jones, SCSPE Executive Director, is the keynote speaker at the Chapter meeting where he will give attendees insight in to what the 2014 legislative calendar will look like, and what engineers should be interested in.  This meeting is at 6:00 pm in downtown Charleston at the restaurant Fish in its upstairs banquet room.

SCSPE is the Voice of the Registered Engineer
No one has to tell you that being a Registered Professional Engineer is a big deal, but someone has to tell the rest of the world.  That is what National Society of Professional Engineers and the South Carolina Society of Professional Engineers are here for. 

NSPE and SCSPE are the only collective voice for registered engineers.   Many people in your South Carolina do not realize what you had to accomplish to put “PE” behind your name.  We are here to tell them that that “PE” is a short way of letting everyone know that you are always looking out for their safety and welfare when working on projects.  SCSPE is the voice in the South Carolina Legislature making sure that the “PEs” are being heard in state and local initiatives. 

So the next time someone asks you what you do, tell them you are a PROFESSIONAL ENGINEER, and let them know that it is a big deal. Tell your friends and colleagues that NSPE/SCSPE are here as the PE’s unified voice, and ask them to become a member so that voice can be louder and heard by more people. 

SCLLR Working on Several Restructuring Initiatives
The South Carolina Board of Registration for Engineers and Surveyors met on Sept. 21, 2013 at the Kingstree Building in Synergy Park.  The Board had many things on its agenda, one of which was addressed by South Carolina Department of Labor, Licensing, and Regulation (SCLLR)’s Director Holly Pisarik. 

Pisarik addressed numerous things.  One that will directly affect the Board of Registration for Engineers and Surveyors is restructuring the number of boards an administrator will supervise.   She explained that the planned restructuring will allow an administrator to have fewer boards to oversee.  This will make Lenora Addison-Miles in charge of the Engineers, Surveyors and Architects only, instead of being spread over four boards.  This will help the level of service registrants and board members receive from SCLLR. 

Another part of the restructuring affects registration fees.  Pisarik explained that some registration fees are higher than they need to be in order to offset expenses.  Under Pisarik’s proposed restructuring, Engineers would see a $15.00 reduction in their registration fees.  The two-year registration fee of $200.00 would be reduced to $185.00.  These changes are recommendations and have to be approved by the General Assembly; therefore, if passed, implementation would not take place until next fiscal year.

SCSPE and ACEC-SC will keep you informed on other changes as they take place at the registration board.

Registration Board’s Research and Education Fund Expends $32,175 Last Year
The SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors Research and Education Fund provided organizations $32,175 for educational programs during the last fiscal year ending June 30, 2013.

This research and education fund receives $10 from each registration fee paid by South Carolina engineers and surveyors. This fund’s year-end balance was $331,422.

ACEC-SC and SCSPE have received money from this fund to off-set some of their seminars'.  For instance, SCSPE receives funds for its Fall Symposium and ACEC-SC and SCSPE receive funds for their joint winter meeting. Also, the SC Engineering Conference and Trade Show has received money to off-set expenses for the conference.

At the August Registration Board meeting, the SC Structural Engineers Association petitioned and was granted $4,500 for one of its meetings.

The Registration Board requires petitioning organizations to justify the request and show how the money will be used.

Registration Board’s Finances Shows Sizeable Balance
Professional engineers’ and surveyors’ registration fees have mounted up over the years when the collected fees exceeded the SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors expenses.

The August, 2013 balance for the registration board’s account was $1,935,693.68 after expenses of $79,106.50 was incurred in the reporting period.

According to a report to the SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors at its September board meeting, the June 2013 year-end balance of the account was $1,991,840.18.

LLR is recommending dropping the two-year registration fee for registered engineers and surveyors from $200 to $185.

SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors Board Fine Firms Heavily
The SC State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Surveyors Board has subjected companies who are not in compliance with the State’s Certificate of Authorization law to significant fines.

At the Sept. 24, 2013 registration board meeting, Civil & Environmental Consultants, Inc. was fined $8,000 for not following the COA law. The firm had let is COA lapse. The fine was based upon work done in South Carolina after the certificate had lapsed. Engineering companies should be familiar with the Certificate of Authorization statute which is 40-22-250 of the Code of Laws of South Carolina and make sure their certificates are up to date.

At the August 12, 2013 registration board meeting, Fanning and Company was fined $4,000 for not having a certificate of authorization. The company argued the work offered was not engineering therefore, no COA was required, but the registration board did not agree and found a COA was mandated.
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