Licensure of land surveyors; merge into licensure of engineers.

The definition of 'graduate engineer' was modified to strictly limit the use of the title to individuals with degrees from universities accredited by a regional accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

The requirements for licensure and intern enrollment were updated to clarify that applicants must have been issued a specific certificate or enrollment document to use the professional titles.

The repeal date for the act was removed, changing the effective timeline so the law remains in force indefinitely after July 1, 2026, rather than expiring on June 30, 2026.

Various formatting and grammatical inconsistencies were corrected throughout the text, including fixing spacing errors in definitions and clarifying sentence structures regarding licensure appeals.

New definitions were added for 'surveyor', 'surveyor intern', and 'practice of surveying' to align with engineering standards.

Board member qualifications were updated to require a minimum age of 35 and 10 years of professional experience.

Board member terms were changed from four years to six years, with staggered start dates beginning in 2026.

Surveyors are granted immunity from criminal trespass charges when entering private property to perform official duties.

Application fees were increased from $75 to $150, and renewal fees were increased from $50 to $100.

Older sections of the Mississippi Code specifically governing the licensure of land surveyors (Sections 73-13-71 through 73-13-105) were repealed.