PA now offers “Active-Retired” Status for PG License
Updated August 16, 2012: If a licensee wishes to be issued an “Active–Retired” status license, the licensee must contact the State Registration Board office at 717-783-7049 to request the mandatory application. Once the fully completed application and any necessary fees have been received, a new license bearing the “Active-Retired” status can be issued.
The “Active-Retired” designation will be noted on the license as the current status (the same as if the status was “Active” or “Expired”) but there will be NO change to the license number as it was originally issued. If the license was originally issued with a letter suffix, the letter will not be removed or changed because the letter is not a designation for the status of that license.
Act 25 of 2010 Licensing Law Updates
Mandatory Continuing Education Requirements for Professional Geologists Now In Effect!
On May 12, 2010, Governor Rendell signed Act 25 of 2010 into law. Act 25 amends the Engineer, Land Surveyor and Geologist Registration Law. The new law clarifies mandatory continuing education (CE) requirements for professional geologists. Additionally, PCPG successfully inserted geologist-in-training provisions and carry-over of up to 12 excess CE credits into the draft legislation.
Mandatory Continuing Education
Section 4.5 of Act 25 requires that a licensee complete 24 professional development hour (“PDH”) units during the biennial renewal period as a condition for licensure renewal. One PDH equals 50 minutes of instruction or presentation relevant to professional practice, including law and ethics applicable to the profession. No credit is earned for practice building or office management instruction. Up to 12 excess PDH units can be carried forward to the next licensure period. Section 5 of Act 25 requires that a licensee comply with the continuing education requirements during the current (2009-2011) renewal period and provides that the licensing board may begin denying licensure renewals during the 2011-2013 renewal period to any licensee that fails to accumulate the required 24 PDH units during the 2009-2011 cycle.
In an e-newsletter sent to licensees on May 14, 2010, the State Registration Board for Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists initially indicated it did not intend to deny licensure renewals beginning in the 2011-2013 renewal period. However, in a special notice posted to the Board’s website on May 28, 2010, the Board reversed its position, advising that the May 14, 2010 information is out of date and should be disregarded. The State Board advises that 24 PDH units will be required, “no ifs, ands or buts,” by the September 30, 2011 renewal cycle.
Any CE credits you have earned since October 1, 2009 go towards your 2009-2010 renewal period requirements. If you haven’t yet started accumulating your mandatory CE credits, we urge you to start now. You can check out PCPG’s available course offerings on the Courses & Events page, and upcoming courses (not yet available for registration) are listed on the Future PCPG Courses & Events page.
PDH units may be earned from any of the following, provided they are relevant to professional practice:
(i) Successful completion of college courses (45 PDH units per semester hour or 30 PDH units per quarter hour);
(ii) Completion of continuing education courses;
(iii) Completion of correspondence, televised, videotaped and other short courses or tutorials (one PDH unit per hour);
(iv) Completion of seminars, employer-sponsored courses, workshops or professional or technical conferences (one PHD unit per hour);
(v) Teaching, presenting or instructing in any of the activities referenced in (i) through (iv) above (two PDH units per hour);
(vi) Authoring published papers, articles or books (10 PDH units per paper, published article or book); and
(vii) Obtaining patents (10 PDH units per patent).
Continuing education courses do not require preapproval by the State Board, though the Board may preapprove course providers. Also, credits earned in other jurisdictions can be used to meet the Pennsylvania CE requirements provided the activity claimed otherwise complies with Act 25.
Licensees must maintain records sufficient to demonstrate compliance with the CE requirements. Required records include: (i) a log showing the type of activity claimed, sponsoring organization, location, duration, instructor’s or speaker’s name and PDH units earned; and (ii) attendance verification records such as completion certificate or other documentation supporting evidence of attendance. In early December 2010, the State Board of Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors and Geologists released General Guidelines pertaining to continuing education requirements. A Continuing Professional Competency Activity Log is included to assist PGs in documenting accrued PDHs. Maintaining this log is strongly recommended in the event that a licensee is audited as part of the license renewal process. You can download the Guidelines and Activity Log from the Board's website here.
The State Board has 18 months to promulgate CE regulations, but don’t wait, as noted above, the mandatory CE requirements are in effect now.
Geologist-In-Training Certification
Through PCPG’s efforts, geologist-in-training (GIT) provisions were inserted into Act 25. A geologist-in-training is a candidate for licensure as a professional geologist who has been granted a certificate as a geologist-in-training after successfully passing the required fundamentals of geology examination and who shall be eligible, upon completion of the requisite years of experience in geology under the supervision of a professional or similarly qualified geologist, for the final examination prescribed for licensure. A geology student that has completed two or more years of an approved geology program may sit for the Fundamentals of Geology examination if approved by the Board, but may not be certified as a geologist-in-training until after graduation from an approved geology program.
Downloads
Final regulations at 49 PA Code Chapter 37: ContinuingEd Final Regs 49 PA Code Ch 37 2011-6-4.pdf
Continuing education Guidelines and Activity Log, from the Board's website: Guidelines and Activity Log
Download House Bill 975, as enacted: PA House Bill 975-2009
Download the Special Notice from the State Licensing Board (May 28, 2010) summarizing the immediate implementation of Act 25's continuing education requirements: Continuing Education Special Notice
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
PCPG has prepared a dedicated webpage to answering the many questions our membership has in regard to these newly implemented continuing education requirements: Continuing Education FAQs.