| (a) Introduction: The Texas Board of Professional Geoscientists
is charged with the responsibility of issuing a license to engage
in the public practice of geoscience in the state of Texas only to
those individuals who meet the qualifications for licensure, as provided
by Texas law. The successful completion of the required examination
for the specific discipline is an essential element in the Professional
Geoscientist licensure process. The Texas Geoscience Practice Act
(TGPA) (Texas Occupations Code, Chapter 1002, §1002.259) provides
that "Except for the payment of required fees, the board may waive
any of the requirements for licensure by a two-thirds vote of the
entire board if the applicant makes a written request and shows good
cause and the board determines that the applicant is otherwise qualified
for a license."
(1) An applicant for licensure as a Professional Geoscientist
may request a waiver by submitting a copy of Form VI - "Request for
Waiver of Licensing Requirement - Board Policy and Procedures," along
with supporting documentation. Only an applicant for licensure may
request a waiver. An applicant must have submitted a complete application,
supporting documentation (such as transcripts and qualifying experience
record), and applicable fees for a waiver request to be considered.
(2) Once a request for a waiver and all relevant documents
and information supporting the request have been received, subject
to scheduling logistics, the request will be placed on the next available
meeting of the TBPG's Application Review and Continuing Education
Committee.
(b) Guidance Policy: The following policy was developed
by the TBPG Board and is intended to be guidance for the Application
Review and Continuing Education Committee and the Board in consideration
of a request for waiver. In accordance with TOC §1002.259, an
approval of a waiver request requires a vote of two-thirds of the
TBPG Appointed Board (6 affirmative votes), regardless of the number
of Board members in attendance. A request for the substitution of
experience for education (provided by TOC §1002.255(b)) requires
a simple majority vote of a quorum of the TBPG Appointed Board to
be approved.
(c) TBPG's Application Review and Continuing Education
Committee Review: TBPG's Application Review and Continuing Education
Committee will review the request and supporting documentation and
recommend to the full TBPG Board to grant or not grant the requested
waiver. An applicant should provide a written justification, along
with supporting documentation. An applicant may also appear before
the Committee and the full Board to provide testimony to support the
request. All requests the Committee recommends for approval will be
scheduled for review by the full Board. Requests the Committee does
not recommend for approval will not be submitted to the full Board
for review, unless the applicant requests review by the full Board.
(d) TBPG's Board Initial Review: TBPG Appointed Board
will review requests the Committee recommends for approval and supporting
documentation and will determine whether or not to approve the request
(grant the requested waiver). An applicant whose request for a waiver
or substitution was denied and who believes that there is additional
information that was not available to the Board when it reviewed the
request, may submit additional information to staff regarding the
current application, along with a written request that the Board reconsider
the request. If staff determines that new information has been submitted
that may be relevant to the Board's review of an application/request,
then staff will schedule the application/waiver request for reconsideration.
In the review of a request to reconsider its decision on an application/waiver
request, because new information has been submitted, the Board will
first determine by a simple majority vote whether to reconsider the
application/waiver request, based on whether relevant new information
has been submitted. If the Board determines by vote that the new information
warrants reconsideration of an application/waiver request, the Board
will reconsider the waiver request, including all of the new information
available at that time. An applicant may appear before the Board and
present information related to the request. The Board will reconsider
its decision on a waiver request only once.
(e) Examination Waiver Requirements and Criteria.
(1) For TBPG's Appointed Board to waive an examination,
an applicant must:
(A) Meet all other qualifications for licensure (qualifying
work experience, education, documentation relating to criminal, disciplinary,
and civil litigation history);
(B) Meet the criteria in the policy for the specific
examination that is the subject of the waiver request; and
(C) Have not failed the examination that is the subject
of the waiver request in the last five years.
(2) Work experience an applicant submits pursuant to
the following examination waiver policies must meet the criteria for
qualifying work experience under TBPG rule §851.23 regarding
qualifying experience record.
(3) ASBOG® Fundamentals of Geology Examination
Waiver. An applicant must have acquired one of the following combinations
of education and work experience:
(A) B.S. and 15 years qualifying work experience;
(B) M.S. and 13 years qualifying work experience; or
(C) Ph.D. and 10 years qualifying work experience.
(4) ASBOG® Practice of Geology Examination Waiver.
An applicant must meet minimum criteria in either Generalized Practice
Experience or Specialized Practice Experience.
(A) Generalized practice experience (must meet all
four criteria):
(i) Completed twenty (20) years of geosciences work
experience;
(ii) Completed ten (10) years of supervisory experience
(three or more individuals under supervision);
(iii) Completed coursework in six of the eight following
ASBOG® task domains:
(I) Field geology;
(II) Mineralogy, petrology, and geochemistry;
(III) Sedimentology, stratigraphy, and paleontology;
(IV) Geomorphology, surficial processes, and quaternary
geology;
(V) Structure, tectonics, and seismology;
(VI) Hydrogeology;
(VII) Engineering geology; or
(VIII) Economic geology and energy resources; and
(iv) Demonstrate the ability to plan and conduct geosciences
investigations considering public health, safety, and welfare.
(B) Specialized practice experience: The applicant
demonstrates twenty years or more of specialized work history in only
one or two of the ASBOG® task domains. One factor TBPG will consider
is whether the examination is not relevant to, or largely beyond the
scope of, the applicant's specialized experience and the applicant's
intended field of practice.
(5) Council of Soil Science Examination (CSSE) - Fundamentals
of Soil Science Waiver. An applicant must have acquired one of the
following combinations of education and work experience:
(A) B.S. and 15 years qualified work experience;
(B) M.S. and 13 years of qualified work experience;
or
(C) Ph.D. and 10 years of qualified work experience.
(6) Council of Soil Science Examination (CSSE) - Professional
Practice examination. An applicant must meet minimum criteria in either
Generalized practice experience or Specialized practice experience:
(A) Generalized practice experience (must meet all
four criteria):
(i) Completed twenty (20) years of soil science work
experience;
(ii) Completed ten (10) years of supervisory experience;
(iii) Completed coursework in six of the eight following
CSSE Professional Practice Performance Objective (PPPO) domains:
(I) Soil chemistry;
(II) Soil mineralogy;
(III) Soil fertility and nutrient management;
(IV) Soil physics;
(V) Soil genesis and classification;
(VI) Soil morphology;
(VII) Soil biology and soil ecology; or
(VIII) Soil and land use management; and
(iv) Demonstrate the ability to plan and conduct soil
science investigations considering public health, safety, and welfare.
(B) Specialized practice experience: The applicant
demonstrates twenty years or more of specialized work history in only
one or two of the CSSE PPPO domains. One factor TBPG will consider
is whether the examination is not relevant to, or largely beyond the
scope of, the applicant's specialized experience and the applicant's
intended field of practice.
(7) Texas Fundamentals of Geophysics Examination (TFGE).
No waiver is available.
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