GA HB476

Renames the State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors as the Georgia Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors Board and establishes it as an independent state agency attached to the Secretary of State for administrative purposes only, removing it from the jurisdiction and direction of the Secretary of State's professional licensing boards division

Authorizes the board to appoint and set compensation for a full-time executive director who serves at the board's pleasure, with duties including maintaining records, hiring staff, entering contracts, scheduling meetings/hearings, and preparing an annual report to the Governor and legislative appropriations committee chairs by the second Tuesday in January each year

Changes license renewal cycles from biennial to annual and adjusts continuing education requirements accordingly: from 30 to 15 hours annually for professional engineers and structural engineers, and from 15 to 7.5 hours annually for professional land surveyors

Establishes the board as a separate budget unit that is self-funded through examination, license, and renewal fees deposited into the state treasury, with expenses required to stay within collected income and not supported by any other state fund

Grants the board authority to hire investigators with peace officer status for enforcement purposes, and allows board meetings to be conducted via audio or video conference calls