Does state provide a license: Yes
Current Active Licensees
| Title | Licensees |
|---|---|
| Geology | 1771 |
| Geophysics | 186 |
| Geoscientist In Training | 0 |
| Soil Scientist | 0 |
License: Professional Geoscientist
Exam Entity: ASBOG
Licensing Board: Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists
Licensing Board Website: http://tbpg.state.tx.us/
Degree required:
Majors accepted:
Courses required:
Courses accepted:
Geology credits required: 30
Credit information: An applicant must have completed at least 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of credit in geoscience, of which at least 20 semester hours or 30 quarter hours of credit must be in upper-level college courses in that geology or sub-discipline of geology including but not limited to engineering geology, petroleum geology, hydrogeology, and environmental geology; geophysics; or soil science.
Education Notes: See the state regulations for a complete explanation of the education requirements for licensure. An applicant must have graduated from a course of study from an accredited university or program in one of the following disciplines of geoscience that consists of at least four years of study and includes at least 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of credit in geoscience, of which at least 20 semester hours or 30 quarter hours of credit must be in upper-level college courses in that geology or sub-discipline of geology including but not limited to engineering geology, petroleum geology, hydrogeology, and environmental geology; geophysics; or soil science. An applicant who has not met the education requirement may satisfy the education requirement by having satisfactorily completed other equivalent educational requirements as determined by the Appointed Board. This includes an applicant that has satisfactorily completed other equivalent educational opportunities if the applicant has ob
Years of experience required: 5
Experience credits needed: 2
Experience information: A total of one year of qualifying work experience credit may be granted for each full-time year of graduate study in a discipline of geoscience, not to exceed two years.
Continuing education requirements: Yes
Ethics required for continuing education: Yes
Continuing education years: 15
Continuing education details: Fifteen (15) CEU are required each year. One (1) of the 15 CEUs must be in ethics.
Geologist in Training license available: Yes
Can take Fundamentals of Geology test before graduation: Yes
Fundamentals of Geology test details: Licensure in the discipline of geology (part I)/ASBOG® Fundamentals of Geology examination:(A) Requirements: Completion of the education qualifications for licensure as specified in Texas Occupations Code §1002.255 and §851.25 of this chapter or currently enrolled in a course of study that meets the education requirements for licensure and within two regular semesters of completion of the qualifying course of study.
Legal Code Reference for GIT, FG: §851.21 Licensing Requirements-Examinations
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: Sunset review
License subject to sunset review: Yes
License subject to audit review: Possible
Sunset regulation name: Sunset Law
Sunset statute: Texas Government Code, Title 3. Legislative Branch, Subtitle C. Legislative Agencies and Oversight Committees, Chapter 325. Sunset Law
Sunset statute reference: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.325.htm
Sunset committee: Texas Sunset Advisory Commission
Composition of sunset committee: The Commission has five Senators, five Representatives, and two members of the public, appointed by the Lieutenant Governor and the Speaker of the House.
Sunset committee website: https://www.sunset.texas.gov/
Sunset duration: Automatic termination dates, typically every 12 years but may be less than every 12 years.
Sunset notes: Results were to continue the board for another six (6) years with changes to board operation and management.
Auditor name: Texas State Auditor’s Office
Auditor website: https://www.sao.texas.gov/
Audit statute: Texas Government Code, Title 3. Legislative Branch, Subtitle C. Legislative Agencies and Oversight Committees, Chapter 321. State Auditor
Audit Statute abbreviation: Texas Government Code, Title 3. Legislative Branch, Subtitle C. Legislative Agencies and Oversight Committees, Chapter 321. State Auditor Section 41-5A-1
Audit statute link: https://statutes.capitol.texas.gov/Docs/GV/htm/GV.321.htm
Audit legislation committee: Legislative Audit Committee (LAC)
Audit legislation committee website: https://www.sao.texas.gov/About/LegislativeAuditCommittee/
Audit notes: 2007 Audit Report summary of results: The Board of Professional Geoscientists (Board) did not report reliable results for the nine key performance measures tested for fiscal year 2006 and the first three quarters of fiscal year 2007.
| Year | Action | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | Legislative bill | There was a first attempt to create a sunset sunset law, which ultimately was not adopted to submit to voters. |
| 1975 | There was a proposed amendements to the constitution, which included a Sunset provision. The amendments failed at the polls. | |
| 1977 | Sunset law created | The Joint Advisory Committee recommended the enactment of a sunset law. The Texas Sunset Act was created by the Texas legislature by Senate Bill (SB) 54 of 1977 under Article 5429k, titled the Texas Sunset Act. The sunset law placed 177 agencies under sunset review. |
| 1985 | Sunset law created | The Texas Sunset Law was effective under Texas Government Code, Title 3, Chapter 325 by Acts 1985 of the 69th legislature, ch. 479, Sec. 1, effective 9/1/1985. |
| 1999 | The Self-Directed Semi-Independent Project Act was created. This act allowed select boards to operate outside the appropriations process, and made them responsible for their own operations and expenses. All of these agencies are subject to sunset review. | |
| 2001 | Practice regulation | The Texas Geoscience Practice Act was created by Senate Bill (SB) 405 in the 77th legislative session. |
| 2007 | Audit | An Audit Report on Performance Measures at the Board of Professional Geoscientists was completed, Report Number 08-001. |
| 2013 | Sunset law created | Additional criteria were created for the Sunset Advisory Commission to use when evaluating occupational licensing. |
| 2017 | The Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists (TBPG) Self-Evaluation Report was completed. | |
| 2018 | Sunset review | A sunset review was completed for the TBPG. |
| 2019 | Sunset review | The Sunset Advisory Commission Staff Report with Final Results for the TBPG was completed. |
| 2019 | Legislative bill | House Bill (HB) 1311 - Relating to the Continuation and Functions of the Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists. Introduced on 2/4/2019 and passed on 5/14/2019 based on findings from the 2018 sunset review. |
| 2025 | Sunset review | The next sunset review of the TBPG is scheduled. |