Does state provide a license: Yes
Current Active Licensees
| Title | Licensees |
|---|---|
| Licensed Geologist | 313 |
License: Professional Geologist
Exam Entity: ASBOG
Licensing Board: Nebraska Board of Geologists
Licensing Board Website: https://nebog.nebraska.gov/
Degree required:
Majors accepted:
Courses required:
Courses accepted:
Geology credits required: 30
Credit information: Applicants are required to have completed at least thirty (30) semester hours or forty-five (45) quarter hours of course work in geology, and the applicant has received a baccalaureate or advanced degree in geology or a geologic specialty from a program recognized by the board. Five of the following courses (or equivalent) are required: field geology, physical geology, mineralogy, petrology/petrography, structural geology, stratigraphy/sedimentology/soils, or hydrogeology.
Education Notes: See the state regulations for a complete explanation of the education requirements for licensure.
Years of experience required: 5
Experience credits needed: 2
Experience information: A Master’s degree in geology or geologic specialty may be used for credit for one year of experience. A Doctorate degree may be used for credit for two years of experience. No more than two years’ experience will be credited based on advanced degrees.
Continuing education requirements: No
Continuing education details: Currently there are no continuing education requirements in Nebraska. However, statutes section 81-3531 states that the board may adopt a CEU program.
Geologist in Training license available: Yes
Can take Fundamentals of Geology test before graduation: Yes
Fundamentals of Geology test details: Applicants for the FG Examination must have completed a minimum of thirty semester hours or forty-five quarter hours of geology regardless of whether or not geology or geologic specialty degree has been earned.
Legal Code Reference for GIT, FG: NRS 81-3509.1, and N.A.C. 171 Ch 2.2.1
Most registration and licensure systems include structural approaches to review both the need and operational effectiveness of the process.
Some states provide formal sunset evaluation processes for their licensure programs. Many also include a periodic audit process of the licensure program/agency, which can range from cursory financial reviews to comprehensive evaluation of program effectiveness.
The audit process is often leveraged when political pressure is applied to eliminate geologist licensure, so awareness of the history and codes for audits and sunset evaluations is critical to montioring the health of the licensure within the state.
Current modes for sunsetting evaluation: Both sunset review and audit
License subject to sunset review: Yes
License subject to audit review: Yes
Current law to establish new licensure board: Yes
Sunset regulation name: Occupational Board Reform Act
Sunset statute: Nebraska Revised Statutes, Chapter 84. State Officers, Sections 933 to 948
Sunset statute reference: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/laws/browse-chapters.php?chapter=84
Sunset committee: Each standing committee
Sunset committee website: None identified
Sunset duration: Beginning in 2019, each standing committee of the Legislature shall annually review and analyze approximately twenty percent of the occupational regulations within the jurisdiction of the committee and prepare and submit an annual report electronically to the Clerk of theLegislature by December 15 of each year as provided in this section. Each committee shall complete this process for all occupational regulations within its jurisdiction within five years and every five years thereafter.
Other sunset references: Accompanying statutes: Administrative Reform Act
Other sunset references website: 84-901 to 84-920
Auditor name: Nebraska Auditor of Public Accounts
Auditor website: https://auditors.nebraska.gov/
Audit legislation committee: Legislative Audit Office
Audit legislation committee website: https://nebraskalegislature.gov/divisions/auditor.php
| Year | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1977 | Sunset law created | The Termination of Agencies, Boards and Commissions law was created by LB 257 of 1977 under NE Revised Statutes §81-192. |
| 1986 | Sunset law repealed | The Termination of Agencies, Boards and Commissions law was repealed by LB 745. |
| 1998 | Practice regulation | The Geologist Practice Act was created. |
| 2000 | Audit | Auditor of Public Accounts, Audit Report of the Nebraska Board of Geologists, July 1, 1999 through June 30, 2000. |
| 2006 | Audit | Auditor of Public Accounts, Attestation Report of the Nebraska Board of Geologists, July 1, 2004 through June 30, 2005. |
| 2012 | Audit | Auditor of Public Accounts, Attestation Report of the Nebraska Board of Geologists, January 1, 2011 through December 30, 2011. |
| 2017 | Legislative bill | There were five occupational licensing and regulatory reform bills introdcued that passed unanimously. |
| 2018 | Sunset law created | The Occupational Board Reform Act was created by LB 299. The Occupational Board Reform Act builds on previous deregulation efforts. LB 299 establishes a review process that will use a two-step process to review existing regulations. First, there must be “present, significant, and substantiated harms” that warrant government intervention. Second, if such a problem exists, the legislators must first consider a regulation that is the “least restrictive” and imposes the lowest burdens and costs while still protecting consumers from the harm (https://ij.org/press-release/nebraska-governor-signs-landmark-reform-occupational-licensing/). |
| 2019 | The Nebraska Board of Geologists was preparing for sunset review, according to the Board’s meeting notes , dated 1/17/2019. |