BILL NUMBER: S1049

SPONSOR: COONEY
 
TITLE OF BILL:

An act to amend the education law, in relation to an accredited engi-
neering technology degree

 
PURPOSE:

This legislation updates the engineering licensing requirements by
requiring that applicants who hold a degree in engineering technology
are required to complete the same number of credits based on education,
additional work experience credits, opportunity to be certified as
"engineers in training," and have the same examination requirements, as
applicants who hold a degree in engineering.

 
JUSTIFICATION:

Engineering technology programs provide an application focused approach
to engineering education and attract a higher number of under-represent-
ed, disadvantaged and first-generation college students. The Rochester
              

Institute of Technology, as well as the New York City College of Tech-
nology - CUNY, Farmingdale State College, Buffalo State College and SONY
Polytechnic all have strong baccalaureate programs in both engineering
and engineering technology, and are committed to ensuring that all
students in both programs are afforded equal opportunity to further
their careers by obtaining a license as a professional engineer.

Currently, applicants with engineering technology degrees are required
to complete two additional work experience credits, making the process
longer and sometimes impossible, and creating an economic disadvantage
for students who choose to pursue engineering technology.

The American Society of Engineering Educators (ASEE), a national society
made up of educators in both engineering and engineering technology
programs, recently adopted a position statement that ET graduates are
fully capable of protecting the health, safety and welfare of the
public, and therefore should be eligible to become Licensed Professional
Engineers without additional requirements. The ASEE Board unanimously
adopted this position statement. Furthermore, a comparison of ABET
accreditation requirements for four-year engineering and ET programs
demonstrates that while the educational approach taken by ET programs is
different, the goals and objectives of the programs are extremely simi-
lar and focus on producing highly ethical, independent critical thinkers
who utilize their technical knowledge for the betterment of public safe-
ty.

In the south, many ET programs were initially housed at historically
Black colleges and universities because those schools were prohibited
from starting engineering programs, and licensure laws in some southern
states that prohibit licensure of any ET graduates are leftover from Jim
Crow. This outdated and harmful outlook on engineering technology
continues to harm underrepresented students, even in progressive states
like New York.

Engineering technology graduates are highly educated and qualified indi-
viduals with diverse backgrounds, who deserve the same respect and
opportunity as those from engineering programs. This bill would address
these inequities by ensuring that ET graduates have the same require-
ments for professional engineer licensure as engineering graduates.

 
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:

2021-22: S.8943

 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
This act shall take effect on the one hundred eightieth day after it
shall have become a law and shall apply to applications for licensure as
a professional engineer received on or after such effective date.
Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule
or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effec-
tive date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such
effective date.