Provides that the education requirements to be licensed as a professional geologist may be partially substituted by practical experience; relates to the issuance of an identification card as a geologist in training.
Summary
S06482 amends New York’s Education Law governing licensure as a professional geologist. The bill creates a limited transition rule allowing certain applicants, if they apply within two years of the effective date, to substitute twelve years of qualifying practical experience for some of the degree and experience requirements otherwise needed for licensure. It also allows years of geology study approved by the department to count toward that experience requirement, at the board’s discretion.
The bill also renames the credential for entry-level applicants from an “intern geologist” identification card to a “geologist in training” identification card. Under the revised language, applicants may be admitted to the examination when they are within twenty credits of completing the required bachelor’s degree or higher, and the bill retains the associated examination and reexamination fees. The act takes effect 180 days after becoming law and applies to licensure applications filed on or after that date.
Impact
The bill would amend section 7206-b of the Education Law by revising the licensure pathway for professional geologists and changing the terminology used for pre-licensure identification cards. It creates a temporary grandfathering/substitution provision for experienced practitioners and updates the standards for exam eligibility and credential naming for applicants in training. The State Education Department and the State Board for Professional Geology would retain discretion over whether geology coursework can offset some experience requirements and would implement any necessary regulations.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests broad support for the measure. The Senate Higher Education Committee approved the bill unanimously in both recorded committee votes, and the first floor passage was also unanimous. On the later floor vote, the bill still passed comfortably, though with some opposition, indicating that the overall sentiment remained favorable but not entirely without dissent.
Contention
The main policy question is whether practical experience should be allowed to substitute for formal education in professional geology licensure, and how much discretion the department and board should have in evaluating that experience. Another point of change is the renaming of the entry-level credential from “intern geologist” to “geologist in training,” which appears to be a terminology update rather than a substantive restriction. The later floor vote with seven nays suggests some lawmakers may have had reservations about loosening licensure standards or altering the balance between education and experience, but no committee discussion is available to identify specific objections.
Same As
Provides that the education requirements to be licensed as a professional geologist may be partially substituted by practical experience; relates to the issuance of an identification card as a geologist in training.
Provides that the education requirements to be licensed as a professional geologist may be partially substituted by practical experience; relates to the issuance of an identification card as a geologist in training.
Payment rates established for certain substance use disorder treatment services, and vendor eligibility recodified for payments from the behavioral health fund.
Cover Outstanding Vulnerable Expansion-eligible Residents Now Act or the COVER Now Act This bill establishes a demonstration program to allow local governments to provide health benefits to the Medicaid expansion population in states that have not expanded Medicaid. Under the program, local governments may provide coverage for individuals who are newly eligible for Medicaid under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (i.e., the Medicaid expansion population) for a maximum of 10 years, or until their respective states expand Medicaid. The bill provides a 100% federal matching rate for the first three years of program participation. The bill prohibits states from taking certain actions against participating localities, such as withholding funding, increasing taxes, or restricting provider participation. States that violate these requirements are subject to certain funding penalties.