Bill 3771

                    Current Status

Bill Number:               3771
Ratification Number:       156
Act Number                 99
Introducing Body:          House
Subject:                   Relating to soil classifiers

(A99, R156, H3771)

AN ACT TO AMEND SECTIONS 40-65-120, 40-65-130, 40-65-170, AND 40-65-240, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, RELATING TO SOIL CLASSIFIERS, SO AS TO CHANGE QUALIFICATIONS FOR CERTIFICATION, PROVIDE THAT THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA LAND RESOURCES CONSERVATION COMMISSION SHALL SIGN EACH CERTIFICATE OF REGISTRATION, AND EXEMPT FROM REGULATION BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA LAND RESOURCES CONSERVATION COMMISSION A PERSON WHO CLASSIFIES SOIL ON THE REAL ESTATE OF HIS EMPLOYER.

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:

Registration of professional soil classifiers

SECTION 1. Section 40-65-120 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 40-65-120. An applicant otherwise qualified must be admitted to registration as a professional soil classifier if he has fifteen or more semester hours of approved soil courses as recognized by the board, has successfully passed an examination in the principles and practice of soil classifying as prescribed by the board, has completed two or more years of training under the supervision of a registered soil classifier or someone who meets the minimum academic and experience requirements of a registered soil classifier, and has one of the following additional qualifications:

(a) is a person who has earned a bachelor's degree or equivalent in a curriculum approved by the board and with a specific record of two years or more of experience of a grade and character which indicates to the board that the applicant is competent to practice soil classifying; or

(b) is a person who has earned a bachelor's degree or equivalent in one of the natural sciences and has six years or more of experience in soil classifying work of a character and grade which indicates to the board that the applicant is competent to practice soil classifying; or

(c) is a person who holds a valid soil-classifier-in-training certificate with a specific record of two years or more experience as a soil-classifier-in-training of a grade and character which indicates to the board that the applicant is competent to practice soil classifying; or

(d) is a person who is an extension specialist, researcher, or teacher of soils in a college or university and has two or more years of soil classifying experience of a character and grade which indicates to the board that the applicant is competent to practice soil classifying."

Soil-classifiers-in-training

SECTION 2. Section 40-65-130 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 40-65-130. Unless otherwise qualified, a person must be admitted to certification as a soil-classifier-in-training, which certification is valid for two years, if he is a person who is:

(a) a person who has earned a bachelor's degree or equivalent in a curriculum approved by the board and has passed an examination in the fundamentals of soil classification; or

(b) an applicant who has completed a curriculum not approved by the board and who has a specific record of four years of soil classification experience of which two years must be under the supervision of a registered soil classifier or someone who meets the minimum academic and experience requirements of a registered soil classifier and who passes an examination in the fundamentals of soil classification."

Certificates of registration

SECTION 3. Section 40-65-170 of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"Section 40-65-170. The board shall issue a certificate of registration upon payment of the registration fee as provided for in this chapter to an applicant who in the opinion of the board has met the requirements of this chapter. Enrollment cards must be issued to those who qualify as soil-classifiers-in-training. Certificates of registration must carry the designation 'professional soil classifier', show the full name of the registrant without any titles, be numbered, and be signed by the Executive Director of the South Carolina Land Resources Conservation Commission under the seal of the board. The issuance of a certificate of registration by the board is prima facie evidence that the person named is entitled to all rights and privileges of a professional soil classifier during the term for which the certificate is valid if it has not been revoked or suspended."

Exemptions

SECTION 4. Section 40-65-240(c) of the 1976 Code is amended to read:

"(c) The practice of soil classifying by a person who is regularly employed to perform soil classifying services solely for his employer or for a subsidiary or affiliated corporation of his employer, providing the soil classifying is performed on the real property of his employer."

Time effective

SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon approval by the Governor.