Attn: FLORIDA SURVEYORS

If you don't already know by now, The State of Florida Business and Consumer Affairs Sub Committee PCB-BCAS 11-01, calling for the De-regulation of Professions, including de-regulation of Surveyors & Mappers, passed in sub-committee, 10-5 just a few hours ago! I am posting this to seek your assistance in fighting this bill!

1. The move to de-regulate certain businesses and trades under the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (FDBPR) is necessary and commendable. However, this proposed bill also includes several PROFESSIONS, and it would jeopardize the public to de-regulate PROFESSIONS. In particular, the critical practice of Professional Surveying and Mapping was inadvertently included, and should be quickly removed. The regulatory Board for Surveyors and Mappers is no longer under FDBPR, and should NOT be included in this bill.

2. Unlike most of the businesses/trades listed, Surveying and Mapping is a PROFESSION, and should be regulated as all other members of the design community (traditionally labeled as A/E Design Professionals). Nationally and internationally, Engineers and Surveyors are regulated by State agencies. There is NO state in the USA that has de-regulated Surveying and Mapping. From both an insurance-risk and educational-gateway analysis, Surveying and Mapping should be a regulated Profession. Unlike all of the other businesses/trades listed in this proposal, Surveying and Mapping requires an accredited Bachelor’s Degree, and significant on-the-job apprenticeship and training to be considered for licensure.

3. Protection of the Public: The single greatest source of personal wealth in this country is currently (and historically) ownership of land and property. The very fabric of our economy is the orderly cadastre and title system that was established and is perpetuated by the Profession of Surveying and Mapping. One need only to look at the land-scams of the 1920’s and 1960’s here in Florida to remind ourselves of why the Land Title Industry and Professional Surveyors and Mappers need to be regulated. The impact to our economy in the recent collapse of the residential housing market underscores how important the process of surveying and subdividing land is to our State. If FS472 was repealed, who would establish title under FS177 for subdivisions, and under FS718 for condominium ownership?

4. Critical to Florida’s Infrastructure: Professional Surveyors and Mappers are a critical part of Florida’s Infrastructure, and join with Architects and Engineers in the development of the very framework of our communities: Roads, Bridges, Water, Sewer, Drainage, and all Public Facilities. Do we really want a deregulated industry designing our infrastructure?

Fellow Surveyors, Now, more than ever, we need to ban together to combat this ridiculous Bill! If you are not a member of FSMS (Florida Surveying and Mapping Society), you had better join right now! Without a unified front, we stand to loose everything we have worked so hard for!

If you are in anyway employed in the Surveying and Mapping profession in the State of Florida, this will affect your livelihood!

Please go to www.fsms.org and become a member. Feel free to shoot me an email or give me a call if you have any questions! This will take a grass roots effort on all of our part! From letter/email writing to calling your local representatives, congressman & senators!

Let's all ban together and fight!