NSPE Advocacy Tools Available
NSPE has created several advocacy and outreach tools for promoting professional engineers and the issues of importance to PEs and the engineering profession.
Emerging Technologies
Autonomous Vehicles: A Public Regulatory Policy Guide
To promote public safety for all who interact with autonomous vehicles, NSPE has adopted a policy guide providing public policy decision-makers, regulators, manufacturers, and others with guidelines to measure the safety readiness of autonomous vehicles under consideration for deployment.
> Access the policy guide (free)
Autonomous Vehicles: A Public Regulatory Policy Guide (Print-ready version)
With the introduction of autonomous vehicles, automation is poised to become a much larger part of our transportation environment. To promote public safety for all who interact with autonomous vehicles, NSPE has adopted a policy guide providing public policy decision-makers, regulators, manufacturers, and others with guidelines to measure the safety readiness of autonomous vehicles under consideration for deployment.
> Two-page print-ready version
Emerging Technologies
New and emerging technologies should be developed in a way that protects the public health, safety, and welfare. The National Society of Professional Engineers encourages legislatures to involve professional engineers at every step in the creation of emerging technologies, from development to testing to deployment. For example, the expertise of a professional engineer should be used when programming an autonomous vehicle to make decisions about where and how to drive.
> One-page print-ready version
Emerging Technology: A Public Regulatory Policy Guide
The rapid change in technological advancement is outpacing how we can manage and/or protect the public health, safety, and welfare from new emerging technologies. Technologies such as advanced automation, artificial intelligence, gene editing, nanotechnology, transhumanism, and others are set to change our world in ways that cannot yet be imagined. The changes will be revolutionary and disruptive.
> Access the policy guide (free)
Ethics
Information on NSPE Ethics Resources
This piece explains the ethical resources NSPE has for professional engineers and the importance of ethics in protecting the public health, safety, and welfare.
Intended Audience: Suitable for any audience, with a focus on students, other organizations and stakeholders, and engineers.
Printing: This is a two-page document, print-ready. Suitable for color or black and white. Also, available in digital version.
> Two-page print-ready version
Government
Qualifications-Based Selection
It is the position of the National Society of Professional Engineers that "all engineering services should be performed by qualified engineers on the basis of design ability, experience, integrity, and judgement. Engineering is a learned profession, requiring of its members sound technical experience, personal ability, education, honesty, and integrity." NSPE supports and advocates for qualifications-based selection (QBS) in procurement of engineering services. This process prioritizes technical proficiency, expertise, and experience, and allows engineers and firms to be considered based on merit. QBS provides the means for qualified engineers and firms to be ranked based on their ability to provide the service, with cost negotiations taking place only after the most qualified engineer or firm has been chosen. QBS is the best method for procurement because it places the public's health, safety, and welfare above all other considerations.
> One-page print-ready version
Sunset Reviews
A sunset review is a periodic evaluation of a licensing board's processes and guiding regulations, which can result in the discontinuation of a licensing board. When use well, it can be a useful tool for identifying duplicity or waste. However, sunset review legislation can restrict or even take steps to eliminate necessary licensure laws and regulations. Since it's founding, the National Society of Professional Engineers has sought to strengthen PE licensure laws and regulations for the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare. NSPE advocates for a responsible approach to sunset reviews, as they can enable streamlining of licensing processes.
> One-page print-ready version
Licensure
“Buyer Beware” or Consumer Choice Legislation
In recent years, lawmakers and advocates across the political spectrum have begun focusing on ways to make it easier for lower-income people, or those with criminal histories, to find meaningful, well-paying work. Licensing requirements have been of particular interest because some people believe they create barriers to employment. The National Society of Professional Engineers urges lawmakers to commit to responsible reforms and reject "buyer beware"-style legislation that puts the public risk.
> One-page print-ready version
Licensing Exemptions
The National Society of Professional Engineers advocates for the elimination of all professional engineering license exemptions. Exemptions, which exist in varying degrees across the United States, allow unlicensed engineers to be in responsible charge of projects that impact public health and safety. Having a licensed professional engineer in responsible charge presents the best-case scenario for protecting public health and safety. NSPE urges state legislatures to prioritize public safety by ending engineering license exemptions.
> One-page print-ready version
The Need for Licensure of Professional Engineers
This piece explains the narrative around the occupational licensure issue as it specifically relates to professional engineers, providing reasons for why PEs should be licensed, primarily the protection of the public health, safety, and welfare.
Intended Audience: Suitable for any audience, with a focus on those who are not engineers or PEs, such as students (both K-12 and college), legislators, and other organizations and stakeholders.
Printing: This is a one-page document, print-ready. Suitable for color or black and white. This document also serves as the digital version.
> One-page print-ready version
Right to Earn a Living
The "right to earn a living" approach to licensing, promoted by organizations like the American Legislative Exchange Council and Institute for Justice, starts from the assumption that licensing regulations are overly burdensome to both the consumer and those who want to work in licensed occupations or professions. It seeks to establish the least restrictive requirements necessary for occupational oversight and assumes market competition is sufficient to protect the public.
> One-page print-ready version
Professional Practice
The Future of Professional Engineering
This NSPE report, entitled The Future of Professional Engineering: Continued Protection of the Public Health, Safety and Welfare Through Professional Engineering Licensure, was developed by a team of volunteers appointed to the NSPE Future of Professional Engineering (“FOPE”) Task Force of the National Society of Professional Engineers (“NSPE”) from June 2016 to July 2018 and presents a discussion of a range of issues that are expected to impact professional engineers and professional engineering in the coming decades – emerging technologies, industrial exemptions, public policy, engineering education, globalization, alternative project delivery, the role of engineering technicians/technologists, public sector engagement and other critical issues.
> Access the NSPE Report (free)
NSPE Signature and Stamp Resource
This document is intended to convey a general awareness of the PE Signature and Stamp Process and includes best practices and lessons learned for those considering developing or improving their own process.
> Multi-page print ready version
Outreach
Key Issues for the Professional Engineer
This handout is the primary leave-behind identifying the top legislative and regulatory threats professional engineers are facing in 2023.
Intended Audience: Legislators, members of congress or agency staff, other organizations interested in policy activities.
Printing: This is a print-ready document and can be printed in black and white. This document also serves as the digital version.
> DOWNLOAD
What Is a PE?
This piece explains what a professional engineer is and what makes the license stand out, while also discussing the important role PEs play in protecting the public health, safety, and welfare.
Intended Audience: Suitable for any audience, with a focus on those who are not engineers or PEs, such as students (both K-12 and college), legislators, and other organizations and stakeholders.
Printing: This is a two-page document, print-ready. Suitable for color or black and white. Also, available in digital version.
> Two-page print-ready version
> Digital version