Louisiana Administrative Code › Title 46 - PROFESSIONAL AND OCCUPATIONAL STANDARDS › Part LXII - Professional Geoscientists › Chapter 1 - General Provisions › Section LXII-101 - Definitions

Current through Register Vol. 50, No. 6, June 20, 2024
A. The words and phrases defined in
				  R.S.
				  37:711.2 and as referenced below shall apply
				  to these rules. In addition, the following words and phrases when used in this
				  Chapter shall have the inferred meanings, unless the context clearly requires
				  otherwise.
Accredited Institutions or Programs
-an
				  institution or program which holds accreditation or candidacy status from an
				  accreditation organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education
				  Accreditation (CHEA) or other appropriate accrediting entity accepted by the
				  board.
Act
-cited as the Louisiana Geoscience
				  Practice Act.
Address of Record
-in the case of a person
				  licensed or certified by the board, the address which is filed by the licensee
				  or certificant with the board.
APA
-the Administrative Procedure Act.
Application
-the forms, information,
				  attachments, and fees necessary to obtain a license as a professional
				  geoscientist or a certification as a geoscientist-in-training.
Certificate
-the credential granted by the
				  board signifying the holder has met the requirements as set out in the Act and
				  this Chapter and is qualified to be a geoscientist-in-training.
Certification, Certified, Certificant or Certificate
				  Holder
-the recognition granted by the board and its issuance of a
				  Credential to any individual seeking such recognition as
				  geoscientist-in-training, who has been successfully examined and is otherwise
				  in good standing with the board.
Cheating
-attempting to obtain, obtaining,
				  providing, or using answers to examination questions by deceit, fraud,
				  dishonesty, or deception.
Complainant
-any person, staff member, or
				  member of the board who, after becoming aware of information that may indicate
				  a violation, has filed a sworn, written complaint with the board against any
				  person whose activities are subject to the jurisdiction of the board.
Complaint
-an allegation or allegations of
				  wrongful activity related to the practice or offering of geoscience services in
				  Louisiana.
Contested Case or Proceeding
-a proceeding in
				  which the legal rights, duties, or privileges of a party are to be determined
				  by the board after an opportunity for adjudicative hearing.
Continuing Education Program (CEP)-
the types
				  of credit hours acceptable to qualify for meeting the continuing education
				  requirements for license renewal. The types are:
a.
professional development hour (PDH)
-a
				  contact hour (clock hour) of CEP activity. The PDH is the basic unit for CEP
				  reporting. One hour equals one PDH;
b.
accredited continuing education unit
				  (ACEU)
- unit of credit customarily used for ACEU. One ACEU equals 10
				  hours (10 PDH) of class in the accredited continuing education course;
c.
college semester hour (CSH)/college quarter hour
				  (CQH)
-credit for a college course in a discipline of geoscience or
				  other related technical elective of the discipline. One CSH equals 15 hours (15
				  PDH) of class in a college semester course. One CQH equals 10 hours (10 PDH) of
				  class in a college quarter course;
d.
continuing education course/activity
				  (CECA)
- any qualifying course/activity with a clear purpose and
				  objective which will maintain, improve, or expand the skills and knowledge
				  relevant to the license holder's field of practice. One CECA hour equals one
				  PDH.
Credential
-the endorsed document of legal
				  authority issued by the board showing that a license or certificate has been
				  granted by the board. A credential is not valid unless it is accompanied by a
				  registration card issued by the board which shows the expiration date of the
				  license or certificate.
Direct Supervision
-critical watching,
				  evaluating, and directing of geoscience activities with the authority to
				  review, enforce, and control compliance with all geoscience criteria,
				  specifications, and procedures as the work progresses. Direct supervision will
				  consist of an acceptable combination of:
a. exertion of significant control over the geoscience
				  work;
b. regular personal presence;
c. reasonable geographic proximity to the location of the
				  performance of the work; and
d. an acceptable employment relationship with the supervised
				  persons.
Discipline
-a branch of instruction or
				  learning focused on a field of specialty training. In this instance involving
				  courses of study centered primarily on geology, but including one or more of
				  the many sub-disciplines of the geologic sciences.
Electronic Signature
-the method of affirming
				  the accuracy of the information submitted in the online application procedure
				  for licensure as a professional geoscientist or certification as a
				  geoscientist-in-training.
Executive Secretary
-the executive secretary
				  of the board.
Filed Date
-the date that the application is
				  first submitted online or that documents have otherwise been received by the
				  board either by date stamp if hand-delivered or by postmark date if the
				  document has been mailed to the board.
Geology
-
a. the founding discipline of the geosciences that
				  encompasses the study of the origin, composition, structure, and history of the
				  earth. See geoscience under
				  R.S.
				  37:711.2 for descriptive detail;
b. there are many specialized sub-disciplines of geology,
				  which include, but are not limited to the following: historical geology,
				  physical geology, economic geology, mineralogy, paleontology, structural
				  geology, mining geology, petroleum geology, geochemistry, geophysics,
				  hydrogeology, petrography, petrology, volcanology, stratigraphic geology,
				  engineering geology, and environmental geology.
Geoscience
-the application of professional
				  judgment in the integration of all subdivisions of the discipline of geology
				  necessary for the safe economic development of projects where the recognition,
				  understanding and utilization of geologic agents, forces, and processes are
				  required for the benefit of the public. Clarified from definition under
				  R.S.
				  37:711.2.
License
-the credential granted by the board
				  signifying the holder has met the requirements as set out in the Act and is
				  qualified to actively perform the practice of geoscience.
Membership
-the board or committee members
				  present and constituting a quorum at an official business meeting.
Party
-a person admitted to participate in a
				  case before the board.
Practice for the Public
-the action of
				  providing professional geoscience services to the public.
Professional Geoscience
-a professional
				  service which may include consultation, investigation, evaluation, planning,
				  designing, or direct supervision of construction, in connection with any public
				  or private projects wherein the public welfare, or the safeguarding of life,
				  health, and property is concerned or involved, when such professional service
				  requires the application of geoscience principles and the interpretation of
				  geoscience data.
Professional Geoscience Services
or
Professional Geoscientific Services
-those services which must
				  be performed by or under the direct supervision of a professional geoscientist
				  and which meet the definition of the practice of geoscience as defined in
				  R.S.
				  37:711.2.
Professional Geoscientist
or
P.G.-
a person who holds a license issued by the board.
Qualifying Work Experience
-a detailed
				  description of specific geoscientific activities performed by an applicant in
				  the course of performing his duties as a geoscientist in the practice of
				  geoscience, including consulting, investigating, evaluating, analyzing,
				  planning, mapping, and inspecting geoscientific work and/or the responsible
				  supervision of those tasks.
Quorum
-a simple majority of members required
				  to be present at a meeting to be able to officially conduct business.
Reference
-an individual attesting to the
				  character and/or validating the required work experience of an applicant. The
				  term is often used synonymously with the term "sponsor".
Reference Response
-the documentation
				  attesting to the character and/or validating the required work experience of an
				  applicant. The term is often used synonymously with the term "letter of
				  reference".
Registration Card
-a card issued on an annual
				  renewal basis that validates the license credential as active for the purpose
				  of conducting the practice of geoscience in the state of Louisiana.
Rule
-any board statement of general
				  applicability that implements, interprets, or prescribes law or policy, or
				  describes the procedure or practice requirements of the board and is filed with
				  the Office of the State Register.
Sanction
-a penalty imposed in a disciplinary
				  process. An imposed disciplinary action is a sanction.
Sponsor
-an individual attesting to the
				  character and/or validating the required work experience of an applicant. The
				  term is often used synonymously with the term "reference".
The Public
-any individual(s), client(s),
				  business or public entities whose normal course of life might reasonably
				  include an interaction of any sort with or be impacted by geoscientific
				  work.
AUTHORITY NOTE:
				  Promulgated in accordance with
				  R.S.
				  37:711.8(C)(1) and
				  R.S.
				  37:711.2.