§ 81-3541 — Licensure; activities exempt

(1) The following activities do not require licensure as a professional geologist under the Geologists Regulation Act:
(a) Geologic work performed by an employee or a subordinate of a professional geologist if the work does not include responsible charge of geologic work and is performed under the responsible charge of a professional geologist who is and remains responsible for such work;
(b) Geologic work performed exclusively in the exploration for and development of energy resources and base, precious, and nonprecious minerals, including, but not limited to, sand, gravel, and aggregate; and not having a substantial impact upon the public health, safety, and welfare, as determined by the board;
(c) Geologic research conducted through academic institutions, agencies of the federal or state governments, or nonprofit research institutions;
(d) Teaching in geology or related physical or natural sciences;
(e) Work performed by a professional engineer appropriately licensed in this state that is within the generally accepted scope of engineering practice;
(f) The practice of any other legally recognized profession;
(g) Work, which includes subsurface excavation, soil and water analysis, and routine environmental monitoring, such as sample collection and water level gauging, performed by an organization for itself and in accordance with other requirements of law;
(h) The work of employees of a political subdivision or state agency charged with natural resources conservation performing, in accordance with other requirements of law, their customary duties in operations, maintenance, and environmental monitoring;
(i) The work of employees and agents of a political subdivision or rural electric cooperative performing, in accordance with other requirements of law, their customary duties in routine utility line construction, operations, and maintenance;
(j) Work customarily performed by chemists, hydrologists, archaeologists, geographers, pedologists, agronomists, and soil scientists; and
(k) Work performed in the construction of water wells as defined in section 46-1212 , the installation of pumps and pumping equipment into water wells, and the decommissioning of water wells.
(2) If the board determines with respect to a particular function that the public is adequately protected without the necessity of a professional geologist performing certain services, the board may waive the requirements of the act with respect to the function.
(3) This section shall not be construed so as to prohibit the testimony of any individual before the Nebraska Oil and Gas Conservation Commission.

Legislative History

Source: Laws 1998, LB 1161, § 88; Laws 1998, LB 1209, § 31; Laws 2007, LB664, § 1; Laws 2025, LB38, § 42. Effective Date: September 3, 2025