SB681

Regular Session

Relating to the term and renewal of an engineering or land surveying license or registration.

ModeratePlan for compliance

Low Cost

Effective:2025-09-01

Enforcing Agencies

Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS)

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

Effective Date: September 1, 2025
Compliance Deadline: Contingent upon TBPELS administrative rollout. Current annual expiration dates remain in force until the Board issues new biennial invoices.
Agency Rulemaking: TBPELS is required to adopt implementing rules "as soon as practicable" after September 1, 2025. Anticipate a "regulatory gray zone" in Q4 2025 where the law is active but Board IT systems may still be processing annual cycles.

Immediate Action Plan

Reprogram compliance software and ERPs to accommodate biennial dates instead of annual triggers.
Audit all professional liability (E&O) insurance questionnaires to ensure licensure status reporting aligns with the new cycle; incorrect reporting can jeopardize coverage.
Instruct accounting to double the per-license budget allocation for the upcoming renewal cycle.
Monitor the *Texas Register* weekly starting September 2025 for TBPELS transition rules regarding the "staggered" implementation.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

Review Master Service Agreements (MSAs) and sub-consultant contracts immediately. Remove representations requiring "annual" renewal of licensure to avoid technical breach of contract. Replace with language requiring vendors to "maintain valid licensure in accordance with TBPELS rules."

Hiring/Training

Adjust internal Continuing Education (CE) tracking systems. You must now track and verify 30 hours of CE over a two-year block rather than 15 hours annually. Implement policy to prevent staff from backloading 30 hours of training into the final month of the cycle.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

Update proposal and bid qualification templates. Ensure RFP response teams possess updated license certificates reflecting the new two-year validity dates to avoid disqualification during client vetting. Retain CE documentation for the full biennial period plus the audit look-back period defined by the Board.

Fees & Costs

Adjust departmental budgets for FY 2026. While the annualized cost of licensure remains neutral, the cash flow requirement will double for the renewal month as you must pay for two years of licensure upfront.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

Transition Stagger: The statute does not define if the Board will switch all licensees simultaneously or implement a staggered phase-in (renewing half for one year, half for two) to balance agency revenue. Watch your invoices closely during the first cycle.
CE Carry-Over: TBPELS must clarify how current CE carry-over rules apply to the new two-year block.
Fee Schedule: While a doubling of fees is anticipated, the specific fee structure has not yet been published by the Board.

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Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

TopicsOccupational Regulation Occupational Regulation--other Trades & Professions Engineers & Engineering Professional Engineers & Land Surveyors, Texas Board of

Official Analysis

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BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	S.B. 681
89R745 CMO-D	By: Hughes
	Business & Commerce
	3/6/2025
	As Filed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

Texas currently requires professional engineers to renew their licenses annually. In contrast, 43 other states have a minimum renewal period of two years.

S.B. 681 proposes extending Texas' renewal period to at least two years, aligning it with the standards of the vast majority of other states. This adjustment aims to reduce administrative burdens and streamline the process, making it easier for engineers to work and contribute to Texas communities.

By modernizing the renewal requirements, Texas will remain competitive with other states, attracting and retaining more engineers to help build a stronger, safer, and more prosperous state.

As proposed, S.B. 681 amends current law relating to the renewal of an engineering license or registration.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

Rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors in SECTION 3 (Section 1001.351, Occupations Code) of this bill.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends the heading to Subchapter H, Chapter 1001, Occupations Code, to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER H. ENGINEERING LICENSE OR REGISTRATION RENEWAL.

SECTION 2. Amends the heading to Section 1001.351, Occupations Code, to read as follows:

Sec. 1001.351. LICENSE OR REGISTRATION RENEWAL.�

SECTION 3. Amends Section 1001.351(a), Occupations Code, as follows:

(a) Requires the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS) to adopt rules providing for the renewal, rather than to provide for the annual renewal, of a license or registration issued under Chapter 1001 (Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors). Requires that the rules provide that a license or registration issued under this chapter is valid for a term of not less than two years.

SECTION 4. Requires TBPELS, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act, to adopt rules to implement Section 1001.351(a), Occupations Code, as amended by this Act.

SECTION 5. Effective date: September 1, 2025.

Senate Authors

Sen. Bryan HughesRepublican · Primary Author

House Sponsors

Rep. Dennis PaulRepublican · Primary Sponsor

Cosponsors (1)

Ray Lopez (D)

Bill Text(with markup)

S.B. No. 681

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

	AN ACT
	relating to the term and renewal of an engineering or land surveying
	license or registration.
	BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
	SECTION 1. The heading to Subchapter H, Chapter 1001,
	Occupations Code, is amended to read as follows:
	SUBCHAPTER H. ENGINEERING LICENSE OR REGISTRATION RENEWAL
	SECTION 2. The heading to Section 1001.351, Occupations
	Code, is amended to read as follows:
	Sec. 1001.351. LICENSE OR REGISTRATION TERM AND [~~ANNUAL~~]
	RENEWAL [~~REQUIRED~~].
	SECTION 3. Section 1001.351(a), Occupations Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(a) The board shall adopt rules providing for the [~~provide~~
	~~for the annual~~] renewal of a license or registration issued under
	this chapter. The rules must provide that a license or registration
	issued under this chapter is valid for a term of not less than two
	years.
	SECTION 4. Section 1001.405(d), Occupations Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(d) The registration of a business entity issued under this
	section is valid for the term provided by board rule adopted under
	Section 1001.351 and [~~expires on the first anniversary of the date~~
	~~the registration is issued.~~ ~~The registration~~] may be renewed by the
	filing of an updated application under Subsection (c).
	SECTION 5. Section 1071.301(a), Occupations Code, is
	amended to read as follows:
	(a) The board by rule shall provide:
	(1) that each certificate of registration or license
	under this chapter is valid for a term of not less than [~~one year or~~]
	two years; and
	(2) for the renewal of the certificate or license.
	SECTION 6. As soon as practicable after the effective date
	of this Act, the Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land
	Surveyors shall adopt rules to implement Sections 1001.351(a) and
	1071.301(a), Occupations Code, as amended by this Act.
	SECTION 7. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

LEGISLATIVE BUDGET BOARD
Austin, Texas

FISCAL NOTE, 89TH LEGISLATIVE REGULAR SESSION


March 7, 2025

TO:	Honorable Charles Schwertner, Chair, Senate Committee on Business & Commerce

FROM:	Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board

IN RE:	SB681 by Hughes (Relating to the renewal of an engineering license or registration.), As Introduced

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

The Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors is a self-directed, semi-independent agency that is responsible for its costs of operations, prohibited from causing the General Revenue Fund to incur any cost, and not subject to the legislative budgeting process.

Local Government Impact

No significant fiscal implication to units of local government is anticipated.

Source Agencies:

460 Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors

LBB Staff:

JMc, RStu, GDZ, JBel

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Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SB681

What does Texas SB681 do?

SB681 mandates a structural shift from annual to biennial (two-year) renewal cycles for all Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, and registered engineering/surveying firms in Texas. While this reduces administrative frequency, it doubles the upfront cash requirement for renewals and necessitates immediate updates to internal compliance tracking to prevent accidental licensure lapses. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: September 1, 2025 Compliance Deadline: Contingent upon TBPELS administrative rollout.

Who authored SB681?

SB681 was authored by Texas Senator Bryan Hughes during the Regular Session.

When was SB681 signed into law?

SB681 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on June 20, 2025.

Which agencies enforce SB681?

SB681 is enforced by Texas Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (TBPELS).

How urgent is compliance with SB681?

The compliance urgency for SB681 is rated as "moderate". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

What is the cost impact of SB681?

The cost impact of SB681 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

What topics does SB681 address?

SB681 addresses topics including occupational regulation, occupational regulation--other trades & professions, engineers & engineering and professional engineers & land surveyors, texas board of.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025

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