GA HB1117

The State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors shall appoint its own full-time executive director to manage all administrative, investigative, and prosecutorial services, functioning in lieu of the Secretary of State's professional licensing boards division director

Funding for the board's operation and administration shall be established as a separate and distinct budget unit, with the General Assembly intending to appropriate all fees collected by the board solely for its own use

The executive director, with board approval, may issue administrative orders or consent orders for enforcement, including license revocations, penalties, and monetary settlements, and may contract with qualified individuals or firms to assist with duties such as complaint investigations

The board must file an annual written report with the Secretary of State by the second Tuesday of each year, detailing license applications, examinations administered, complaints received and processed, disciplinary actions taken, financial income and disbursements, and education/research efforts

The act takes effect immediately upon the Governor's approval for purposes of selecting an executive director and staff and managing the transition, with all other provisions taking effect July 1, 2011