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.
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.
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
