Business Occupations and Professions - Professional Engineers - Examination
Summary
SB529 amends Maryland’s professional engineering licensure law to require certain applicants to pass the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) examination before they may take the Principles and Practice of Engineering (PE) examination. The bill specifically updates the experience-based licensure pathway for applicants with at least 12 years of engineering work experience, making clear that they must first pass the FE exam and then, after that, pass the PE exam to qualify for a license.
The measure does not change the broader structure of the engineering licensing statute, but it does tighten the order of examination requirements for applicants seeking licensure through the long-experience route. It also preserves the Board’s authority to credit approved or unapproved engineering education toward the experience requirement, with the existing credit rules unchanged. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025.
Impact
The bill amends Section 14-305 of the Business Occupations and Professions Article, affecting the licensure standards administered by the State Board for Professional Engineers. In practice, it adds an explicit FE-exam prerequisite to the experience-based pathway for professional engineer applicants, which may affect experienced engineers who previously could qualify without that sequencing being stated as clearly in statute. The change primarily impacts applicants, the Board, and the engineering profession’s licensing process in Maryland.
Sentiment
The bill appears to have been broadly supported, as reflected by strong passage in both chambers: 35-11 in the Senate and 130-9 in the House. The lack of committee transcript material limits insight into detailed debate, but the voting margins suggest general agreement with the bill’s licensing clarification and examination requirement. Overall sentiment was favorable, with only a minority of legislators opposing it.
Contention
The likely point of contention is whether requiring the Fundamentals of Engineering exam before the Principles and Practice exam adds an unnecessary hurdle for highly experienced applicants, especially those using the 12-year experience pathway. Opponents may have viewed the change as a stricter licensing barrier, while supporters likely saw it as a needed clarification and standardization of professional competency requirements. Because no committee discussion transcript is available, the specific arguments from either side are not documented here.