07 LC 25
4805
Senate
Bill 226
By:
Senators Harp of the 29th, Hill of the 4th, Hudgens of the 47th, Chapman of the
3rd and Tolleson of the 20th
A
BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
AN ACT
To
amend Article 1 of Chapter 2 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia
Annotated, relating to general provisions relative to the Department of Natural
Resources, so as to provide that evaluations and reports of qualified soil
scientists shall be accepted by the Department of Natural Resources for certain
purposes; to define certain terms; to amend Chapter 2 of Title 31 of the
Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the Department of Human
Resources, so as to provide that evaluations and reports of qualified soil
scientists shall be accepted by the Department of Human Resources for certain
purposes; to define certain terms; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other
purposes.
BE
IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:
SECTION
1.
Article
1 of Chapter 2 of Title 12 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating
to general provisions relative to the Department of Natural Resources, is
amended by adding a new Code section to read as follows:
"12-2-10.
(a)
As used in this Code section, the term:
(1)
'Public practice of soil science' means any service or work, the adequate
performance of which requires education in the physical, chemical, and
biological sciences, as well as soil science; training and experience in the
application of special knowledge of these sciences to the use and management of
soils by accepted principles and methods; investigation, evaluation, and
consultation in the use and management of soils; and in which the performance is
related to the public welfare by safeguarding life, health, property, and the
environment. The term includes, but is not limited to, investigating and
evaluating the interaction between water, soil, nutrients, plants, and other
living organisms that are used to prepare soil scientists´ reports for
subsurface ground absorption systems, including infiltration galleries; land
application of residuals such as sludge, septage, and other wastes; spray
irrigation of waste water; soil remediation at conventional rates; land
application of agricultural products and processing residues; bioremediation and
volatilization; soil erodibility and sedimentation; and identification of hydric
soil and redoximorphic features.
(2)
'Soil science' means the science dealing with soils as an environmental
resource. Soil science includes soil characterization, classification, and
mapping; the physical, chemical, hydrologic, mineralogical, biological, and
microbiological analysis of soil; and the assessment, analysis, modeling,
testing, evaluation, and use of soil for the benefit of mankind. Soil science
does not include design or creative works, the adequate performance of which
requires extensive geological, engineering, land surveying, forestry, or
landscape architecture education, training, and experience or requires
registration as a geologist under Chapter 19 of Title 43, professional engineer
or land surveyor under Chapter 15 of Title 43, or forester under Part 2 of
Article 1 of Chapter 6 of this title or licensing as a landscape architect under
Chapter 23 of Title 43.
(3)
'Soil scientist' means a person who engages in the public practice of soil
science.
(b)
Any person who:
(1)
Holds at least a bachelor´s degree in science from an accredited college or
university with a major in soil science or a related field of science, which
degree includes a minimum of 30 semester hours or equivalent quarter credit
hours in agricultural, biological, chemical, physical, or earth sciences, with a
minimum of 15 semester credit hours or equivalent quarter credit hours in soil
science courses; or
(2)
Has at least four years of work experience as a soil scientist under the
supervision of a person who meets the qualifications of paragraph (1) above and
who provides satisfactory evidence of such qualifications to the
department
shall
be authorized and qualified, for purposes of assisting persons in meeting the
requirements of this title, to engage in the public practice of soil science on
behalf of such persons and submit soil science evaluations and reports to the
department when such are required for purposes of satisfying requirements of
this title, and such reports by a soil scientist shall be accepted by the
department for such purposes."
SECTION
2.
Chapter
2 of Title 31 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the
Department of Human Resources, is amended by adding a new Code section to read
as follows:
"31-2-10.
(a)
As used in this Code section, the term:
(1)
'Public practice of soil science' means any service or work, the adequate
performance of which requires education in the physical, chemical, and
biological sciences, as well as soil science; training and experience in the
application of special knowledge of these sciences to the use and management of
soils by accepted principles and methods; investigation, evaluation, and
consultation in the use and management of soils; and in which the performance is
related to the public welfare by safeguarding life, health, property, and the
environment. The term includes, but is not limited to, investigating and
evaluating the interaction between water, soil, nutrients, plants, and other
living organisms that are used to prepare soil scientists´ reports for
subsurface ground absorption systems, including infiltration galleries; land
application of residuals such as sludge, septage, and other wastes; spray
irrigation of waste water; soil remediation at conventional rates; land
application of agricultural products and processing residues; bioremediation and
volatilization; soil erodibility and sedimentation; and identification of hydric
soil and redoximorphic features.
(2)
'Soil science' means the science dealing with soils as an environmental
resource. Soil science includes soil characterization, classification, and
mapping; the physical, chemical, hydrologic, mineralogical, biological, and
microbiological analysis of soil; and the assessment, analysis, modeling,
testing, evaluation, and use of soil for the benefit of mankind. Soil science
does not include design or creative works, the adequate performance of which
requires extensive geological, engineering, land surveying, forestry, or
landscape architecture education, training, and experience or requires
registration as a geologist under Chapter 19 of Title 43, professional engineer
or land surveyor under Chapter 15 of Title 43, or forester under Part 2 of
Article 1 of Chapter 6 of Title 12 or licensing as a landscape architect under
Chapter 23 of Title 43.
(2)
'Soil scientist' means a person who engages in the public practice of soil
science.
(b)
Any person who:
(1)
Holds at least a bachelor´s degree in science from an accredited college or
university with a major in soil science or a related field of science, which
degree includes a minimum of 30 semester hours or equivalent quarter credit
hours in agricultural, biological, chemical, physical, or earth sciences, with a
minimum of 15 semester credit hours or equivalent quarter credit hours in soil
science courses; or
(2)
Has at least four years of work experience as a soil scientist under the
supervision of a person who meets the qualifications of paragraph (1) above and
who provides satisfactory evidence of such qualifications to the
department
shall
be authorized and qualified, for purposes of assisting persons in meeting the
requirements of this title, to engage in the public practice of soil science on
behalf of such persons and submit soil science evaluations and reports to the
department when such are required for purposes of satisfying requirements of
this title, and such reports by a soil scientist shall be accepted by the
department for such purposes."
SECTION
3.
All
laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.