TSPS SEPT. FINAL - Flipbook - Page 15
TBPELS UPDATE
TBPELS Implementation of Recent
Legislative Changes
BY: Lance Kinney, Ph.D., P.E.
With the conclusion of the recent Regular Legislative Session (89th – 2025), the Texas Board of Professional
Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) has begun developing rules to implement the statutory changes
passed by the Legislature.
Two significant bills were passed that directly impact the practice of surveying: Senate Bill (SB) 1259, related
to the regulation of land surveyors by TBPELS, and SB 681, related to the term and renewal of engineering
and land surveying licenses and registrations. In addition, the Legislature passed several other bills affecting
licensure and registration processes, including House Bill (HB) 5629 and SB 1818, which pertain to
registration for active-duty military, military veterans, and military spouses, as well as SB 1080, which
addresses provisional licensure for applicants with certain criminal convictions.
The specific language of these bills can be found on the Texas Legislature Online website at
capitol.texas.gov
Senate Bill 1259
SB 1259 introduces changes directly to the Texas Occupations Code Chapter 1071 – the Professional Land
Surveying Practices Act – and was successfully passed through the efforts of TSPS. The TSPS team, led by
Steven Freeman, RPLS, worked diligently to get this bill enacted and signed by the Governor.
Key highlights of SB 1259 include:
Decoupling the timing to sit for the NCEES Fundamentals of Surveying (FS) exam from the experience
requirements to become a Surveyor-in-Training.
Clarifying the requirements to take both the NCEES Principles of Surveying (PS) exam and the TBPELS
Texas Specific Surveying Exam (TSSE).
Adding land surveying as a subject area for which the Board may develop official Policy Advisory
Opinions.
Clarifying operational requirements for the Surveying Advisory Committee (SAC).
Senate Bill 681
SB 681 impacts both surveyors and engineers by directing the Board to migrate all RPLS registrations, PE
licenses, and surveying and engineering firm registrations to a two-year renewal cycle. Board staff has
developed implementation plans to ensure this transition is as smooth as possible.
Key points of the transition plan:
All current RPLS registrations will renew by December 31, 2025. The renewal fee will remain $50, and
continuing education requirements will remain unchanged.
The next RPLS renewal cycle will begin January 31, 2027. This renewal will be valid for two years. All
future renewals will occur on January 31 of each odd-numbered year. The renewal fee will increase to
$100 to reflect the two-year cycle.
Continuing education requirements for the December 31, 2025 – January 31, 2027 cycle will remain at 12
hours. After January 31, 2027, CE requirements will increase to 24 hours every two years.
The Board, with concurrence from the SAC, has proposed modifying the ethics requirement from 3 hours
of professional ethics annually to 4 hours every two years.
New RPLS registrants will be assigned a renewal date of either January 31 or July 31 of an odd- or evennumbered year, depending on their initial registration date.
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