California Legislative Council
of Professional Engineers
The California Legislative Council of Professional Engineers (CLCPE) is an organization of engineering societies to provide advice to the State Legislature on engineering issues, including reforming the State Engineers' Act.
Member Organizations
AIChE Southern California Section
American Nuclear Society (ANS)
American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE)
American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
California Industrial Engineers
California Manufacturing Engineers
National Society of Professional Engineers-California
Institute of Electrical & Electronic Engineers (IEEE)
International Society of Automation (ISA, formerly Instrument Society of America)
ISA Central California Section
ISA San Diego Section
Mechanical Engineers Association of California (MEAC)
Registered Traffic Engineers of America
Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE)
SFPE San Diego & Imperial Counties Chapter
SFPE Northern California/Nevada Chapter
CLCPE Officers
Officers of CLCPE have a wide engineering background to allow us to represent the entire engineering profession:
- President - Bob Katin, a licensed chemical engineer
- Vice President - Carolyn Jones, a licensed civil engineer and agricultural engineer
- Secretary - Tim Callahan, a licensed fire protection engineer
- Treasurer - Walter Okitsu, a licensed civil engineer and a licensed traffic engineer
News as of March 2013
-
See attached letter to the President of Pacific Gas and Electric
[see link to
letter,
Attachment 1 - Summary of Applicable Code Sections in the PE Act and
Attachment 2 - Legal Opinion of the PE Act Issued by the Legislative Counsel Bureau
].
It advises that the State Engineers' Act (the law) requires all utility company engineering and science be conducted by a civil engineer, whether it is a nuclear power plant, coal fired plant, natural gas fired plant, or co-gen plant. An identical letter was sent to the President of Southern California Edison.
- The California State Engineers' Act continues to hinder chemical engineers from practicing their profession. This news article [Chemical Engineering Magazine March 2013 Professional Bureaucracy] from Chemical Engineering magazine describes the issues related to the State Engineers' Act.
News as of October 2012
The Legislature and the Governor have approved the High Speed Rail project which will require spending billions of dollars from Federal Grants and State Bonds. As a result, CLCPE wrote a letter to Governor Brown pointing out that this project will, if the Professional Engineers' Act is enforced, have major problems. [ see link ]. A second letter was sent to the Federal Railroad Administration [ see link ] pointing out that California law will preclude using the most qualified people on California's High Speed Rail project.
News as of February 13, 2012
SB 1061 Introduced
SB 1061 has been introduced on 13 FEB 2012. For more information, please see SB 1061 bill text as introduced . Link to the official SB 1061 website.
The Bill addresses the Legislative Counsel Bureau conclusion dated 21 JUL 2011 regarding the meaning of State Engineers' Act. [See link] .
Diane Spencer, Vice President of Government Affairs for CSPE wrote an article for PE Magazine in May 2011, "Is it Time to Legalize Engineering in California?" [See link] .
Recent Legislation
A brief historical record of recent legislation on the State Engineers' Act includes:
- SB2030 (2000) called for a study of the State Engineers' Act. The Institute of Social Research (ISR) at Cal State University at Sacramento (CSUS) performed the study under the direction of the Department of Consumer Affairs, the Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (BPELS), and the Legislature.
Download the complete 290-page study, PDF (.zip, 3.5MB)
- BPELS developed recommendations provided to the Legislature based on the ISR study. It also sponsored SB246, as amended 6-20-05. A letter from the then President of the engineering board explained his reason for supporting the actions of the board:
"Why Must California Be Different?"
SB246 was held in the Assembly Business & Professions committee due to opposition by PECG (Professional Engineers in California Government) and CELSOC (Consulting Engineers and Land Surveyors of California now known as ACEC of CA (American Council of Engineering Consultants of California) - SB275 (2010) was introduced by Senator Mimi Walters to reform the State Engineers' Act, cosponsored by the California Farm Bureau Federation and the Chemical Industry Council of California. Industrial supporters included:
- California Farm Bureau Federation--SB 275 co-sponsor
- Chemical Industry Council of California--SB 275 co-sponsor
- California Manufacturers and Technology Association
- Southern California Edison
- Western Growers Association
- California Independent Oil Marketers Association
- Goodrich Corporation
- California Agricultural Irrigation Association
- SB692 (2011) was introduced by Senator Mimi Walters to reform the Engineers' Act. Presently the Engineers' Act protects the practice of civil, electrical and mechanical engineering. It provides that only the use of the title of some engineering names is protected, including agricultural engineer, chemical engineer, control system engineer, fire protection engineer, industrial engineer, manufacturing engineer, metallurgical engineer, nuclear engineer, petroleum engineer, or traffic engineer. Use of the engineering title is protected but not the practice of that engineering discipline. The bill proposes that all licensed engineers should be given the protection that all other states provide. SB692 does this by:
- Converting the engineering disciplines that are only title protected to practice protected, the same as the civil, electrical and mechanical engineering disciplines.
- Allowing any licensed engineer to provide services in the converted disciplines without restriction, if competent.
- Maintains the present status of civil engineers to perform any services in any area of engineering.
SB275 was held in the Senate Business Professions and Economic Development committee due to opposition by PECG (Professional Engineers in California Government) and ACEC of CA (American Council of Engineering Consultants of California, formerly known as CELSOC).
Click this link to read the bill text.
Updated December 9, 2022
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