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A04942 Summary:

BILL NOA04942
 
SAME ASSAME AS S03287
 
SPONSORO'Pharrow
 
COSPNSRBronson
 
MLTSPNSR
 
Amd §7206, Ed L
 
Provides that an applicant with a bachelor's degree or higher in engineering technology and an applicant with a bachelor's degree or higher in engineering shall have the same number of education and experience credit requirements, shall have the same eligibility for an identification card as "an engineer in training", as well as examination and examination eligibility requirements.
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A04942 Actions:

BILL NOA04942
 
02/10/2025referred to higher education
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A04942 Memo:

NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY
MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION
submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
 
BILL NUMBER: A4942
 
SPONSOR: O'Pharrow
  TITLE OF BILL: An act to amend the education law, in relation to an accredited engi- neering technology degree   PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL: This legislation updates the engineering licensing requirements by requiring that applicants who hold a degree in engineering technology are required to complete the same number of credits based on education, additional work experience credits, opportunity to be certified as "engineers in training," and have the same examination requirements, as applicants who hold a degree in engineering.   DIFFERENCE BETWEEN ORIGINAL AND AMENDED VERSION (IF APPLICABLE): N/A   JUSTIFICATION: Engineering technology programs provide an application focused approach to engineering education and attract a higher number of underrepre- sented, disadvantaged and first-generation college students. The Roches- ter Institute of Technology, as well as the New York City College of Technology - CUNY, Farmingdale State College, Buffalo State College and SUNY Polytechnic all have strong baccalaureate programs in both engi- neering and engineering technology, and are committed to ensuring that all students in both programs are afforded equal opportunity to further their careers by obtaining a license as a professional engineer. Currently, applicants with engineering technology degrees are required to complete two additional work experience credits, making the process longer and sometimes impossible, and creating an economic disadvantage for students who choose to pursue engineering technology. The American Society of Engineering Educators (ASEE), a national society made up of educators in both engineering and engineering technology programs, recently adopted a position statement that ET graduates are fully capable of protecting the health, safety and welfare of the public, and therefore should be eligible to become Licensed Professional Engineers without additional requirements. The ASEE Board unanimously adopted this position statement. Furthermore, a comparison of ABET accreditation requirements for four-year engineering and ET programs demonstrates that while the educational' approach taken by ET programs is different, the goals and objectives of the programs are extremely similar and focus on producing highly ethical, independent critical thinkers who utilize their technical knowledge for the betterment of public safety. In the south, many ET programs were initially housed at historically Black colleges and universities because those schools were prohibited from starting engineering programs, and licensure laws in some southern states that prohibit licensure of any ET graduates are left over from Jim Crow. This outdated and harmful outlook on engineering technology continues to harm underrepresented students, even in progressive states like New York. Engineering technology graduates are highly educated and qualified indi- viduals with diverse backgrounds, who deserve the same respect and opportunity as those from engineering programs. This bill would address these inequities by ensuring that ET graduates have the same require- ments for professional engineer licensure as engineering graduates.   PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY: 02/27/23 - referred to higher education 01/03/24 - referred to higher education   FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS: None.   EFFECTIVE DATE: This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it shall have become a law and shall apply to applications for licensure as a professional engineer received on or after such effective date. Effec- tive immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
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A04942 Text:



 
                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
 
                                          4942
 
                               2025-2026 Regular Sessions
 
                   IN ASSEMBLY
 
                                    February 10, 2025
                                       ___________
 
        Introduced  by  M.  of  A.  O'PHARROW  --  read once and referred to the
          Committee on Higher Education
 
        AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to  an  accredited  engi-
          neering technology degree
 
          The  People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:

     1    Section 1. Paragraph 2 of subdivision 1 of section 7206 of the  educa-
     2  tion  law,  as amended by chapter 465 of the laws of 2021, is amended to
     3  read as follows:
     4    (2) Education: have received an education, including a  bachelor's  or
     5  higher degree based on a program in engineering, an accredited engineer-
     6  ing technology degree, or the substantial equivalent, in accordance with
     7  the commissioner's regulations;
     8    §  2.  Section  7206  of  the education law is amended by adding a new
     9  subdivision 5 to read as follows:
    10    5. For the purposes of this section, an applicant  with  a  bachelor's
    11  degree or higher in engineering technology and an applicant with a bach-
    12  elor's  degree  or  higher  in engineering shall have the same number of
    13  education and experience credit requirements, shall have the same eligi-
    14  bility for an identification card as an "engineer in training", as  well
    15  as  examination  and examination eligibility requirements, in accordance
    16  with the commissioner's regulations.
    17    § 3. This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after
    18  it shall have become a law and shall apply to applications for licensure
    19  as a professional engineer received on or  after  such  effective  date.
    20  Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule
    21  or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effec-
    22  tive  date  are  authorized  to  be made and completed on or before such
    23  effective date.
 
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD03165-01-5
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