criminal check for licensed professionals

[RogueUSMC]

A much bigger issue might be to discuss why we need so much professional licensing, but that is a whole separate debate.

It's a revenue generator, at least in my profession anyways.

Nah, I'd bet it has something to do with someone being sued.

Like he said...

[bizarrenormality]

Why can't these agencies use our CHL in lieu of us paying for another criminal check?

I'm personally very glad random non-LEO government employees can't (legally) look up my CHL status.

[KRM45]

The Criminal History Record Check https://engineers.texas.gov/recordcheck.html for the Texas Board of Professional Engineers is new for 2014. I believe it is a one time deal for PEs and RNs http://www.bon.state.tx.us/olv/faqs-fp.html.

Thank you for posting this. I was unaware of this change.

[TomsTXCHL]

As a volunteer who works with state parks which have a lot of childrens' programs, my wife has had to undergo a background check to participate (state park requirement I believe).

Since nurses do also work with children that requirement has some rationale, but why for PEs????

[Keith B]

As a volunteer who works with state parks which have a lot of childrens' programs, my wife has had to undergo a background check to participate (state park requirement I believe).

Since nurses do also work with children that requirement has some rationale, but why for PEs????

Nothing to do with children, but possibly to do with the information you could have access to on buildings and other infrastructure and potential to do bad things. Just a guess

[WildBill]

It seems to me that annual renewal of a P.E. license is excessive, especially the security background check.

I know that they need continuing education credits every year, but haven't heard of any P.E.s forgetting all of their engineering knowledge within a year.

I haven't heard of a great number becoming criminals either.

It appears to be another revenue generator. I was hoping that Texas would be going down this same road as other states.

[TomsTXCHL]

I was hoping that Texas would be going down this same road as other states.

"Not"?

[WildBill]

I was hoping that Texas would NOT be going down this same road as other states.

"Not"?

[TomsTXCHL]

Sorry, I knew what you meant!

Twitchy trigger, er, I mean keyboard finger here...

[bcschae]

I have decided to not renew my Texas PE license this year due to the new requirement. I have notified the Texas PE Board of my decision as well as my State senators and representatives.

[WildBill]

I have decided to not renew my Texas PE license this year due to the new requirement. I have notified the Texas PE Board of my decision as well as my State senators and representatives.

If you have a professional engineering organization that you belong to, I would contact them also.

I found this to be an interesting post on the Texas Society of Architects website.

It appears that the various professional organizations need to band together their lobbyists.

https://texasarchitects.org/v/blog-deta ... ements/fr/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It appears that, even the AMA, didn't have the clout [or maybe desire] to exempt physicians from the fingerprinting requirement.

[JP171]

I have to have a check done every year for my A/C Contractors License, I have one done every 4 years for my EMT-Paramedic license. why is this such a big deal for PE's?

you deal with the public trust and should be held to the same standards as the electricians and AC guys and anyone else that deals with the public trust

[TomsTXCHL]

I have decided to not renew my Texas PE license this year due to the new requirement. I have notified the Texas PE Board of my decision as well as my State senators and representatives.

I guess I'm showing my age, but this sounds to me like "throwing the baby out with the bathwater"?

[WildBill]

I have decided to not renew my Texas PE license this year due to the new requirement. I have notified the Texas PE Board of my decision as well as my State senators and representatives.

I guess I'm showing my age, but this sounds to me like "throwing the baby out with the bathwater"?

I don't know your age, but some people don't like more and more government regulations. I don't know the particulars of bcschae and his decision.

I didn't like it, but I have been fingerprinted probably a dozen times for various jobs. But they were for defense jobs, so I could understand the security concerns.

[bcschae]

The bottom line for me is this: I am tired of having to prove that I am not a criminal. I go to the airport and subject myself to screenings (maybe even cavity searches) to prove I am not a criminal. Even at my local high school football game I have to go through a metal detector to prove I am not a criminal. Now the state is asking me (a Professional Engineer) with high moral and ethical standards to prove I am not a criminal. I have been a registered PE in Texas since 2005 and the state has all the information that they need from me to continue that licensure.

The truth of the matter is that only a small percentage are criminals and now I am being punished because of their bad behavior. It’s wrong and I will not submit to it.

When did we move to a society that I now need to prove my innocence? Isn't the old saying "Innocent until proven guilty"? Why does it no longer apply?