About  TSPE - What We Do

What TSPE Does for Its Members

TSPE and NSPE promote and protect the profession and represent all disciplines of engineering. TSPE is active at the state level advocating the interests of engineers before the Tennessee General Assembly and the State Board of Architects and Engineers in addition to other programs at the state and local levels. Here are several examples:

• TSPE coordinates a statewide math competition for 6th - 8th graders, with funding from the TN Engineering Foundation (MATHCOUNTS)

• TSPE promotes the licensure of engineering graduates and offers PE exam review classes

• TSPE blocked legislation to allow engineering technology graduates to sit for the PE exam.

• TSPE passed legislation to allow engineers and architects to provide construction management services for public schools and correctional facilities.

• TSPE/NSPE provides information about what is going on in the profession through its publications.

• TSPE promotes the ethical and competent practice of engineering and advocates licensure, serves the needs of and enhances the image and well being of all engineering professionals, and promotes the involvement of engineers in society.

Legislative and Government Affairs

2012 Legislative Update

The Tennessee General Assembly adjourned on May 1. It is an election year and legislators were anxious to return to their newly-redrawn legislative districts to begin the campaign season. Candidates had to file their petitions to qualify to run for State House and Senate seats by noon on April 5. All members of the State House are up for election every two years. This year the even-numbered Senate seats are also up for election. Some current members of both bodies chose not to run for reelection for a variety of reasons, including: they were put in districts with another legislator, it was time to retire, etc. Click here to review the list of candidates.

The General Assembly's primary purpose in meeting is to adopt a budget for state government for the coming fiscal year. Obviously, they consider many more issues than just the Constitutionally-mandated budget. The legislature is limited to meeting for 90 days during a 2-year cycle. During the session, "days" only count if the entire House or Senate meets and committee meetings are not included in that count. This session the House used 84 of its days and the Senate used 81.

The state primary election will be on August 2 and the general election will be on November 6. Mark your calendars.

Overall, engineers fared fairly well. No preferential purchasing legislation passed, Qualifications-Based Selection was not diminished, stream mitigation was not limited to a specific county, there will be no countdown timers on yellow lights at traffic signals with automated enforcement, and manufacturers of products for public drinking water systems do not have to verify the safety of their products to water system operators. The threshold for public work that must be designed by an engineer, architect, or landscape architect was increased for state park projects, but safeguards were added to insure protection of the public safety. If you would like more details on these issues, click here.

Qualifications-Based Selection Brochure

NSPE-PAC, the bipartisan political action committee of NSPE, helps elect candidates for federal office who are responsive to the engineering profession's goals and objectives. NSPE-PAC allows NSPE members, employees, and their families to combine their political contributions and support candidates who support NSPE's issues. The goal of NSPE-PAC is to ensure that the interests of professional engineers are represented on Capitol Hill. Learn more about NSPE-PAC by visiting http://www.nspe.org/IssuesandAdvocacy/TakeAction/PAC/index.html.

How to Make a Contribution to the

Tennessee Professional Engineers' Political Action Committee (State)

TSPE and the American Council of Engineering Companies of Tennessee have a joint PAC - the Tennessee Professional Engineers’ PAC. Its goals are to support candidates to the Tennessee General Assembly who are responsive to issues related to the engineering profession. Contributions may be made by personal or corporate check, made payable to the Tennessee Professional Engineers' PAC and mailed to:

Tennessee Professional Engineers' PAC
TN Engineering Center
800 Fort Negley Boulevard
Nashville, TN 37203
 

Engineer Appointments to State Boards

The TSPE Nominating Committee consults with its local chapters and other engineering associations to determine the best possible candidates for consideration for gubernatorial appointments to state boards. List of Appointments