Don Mitchell, a partner in SGR’s air transport industry practice, was on hand this week for the signing of HB 18. The bill, authored by Representative Jason Spencer from Camden County, Georgia, will amend the state’s professional licensing statute to exempt aerospace engineers from state licensing requirements.  This closes a catch-22 that aerospace engineers in the state have been subject to for many years in that they are required to be licensed, but have no means to be licensed by the state or any other organization.  Instead, the state will now formally rely on the longstanding federal (including military) framework in place for oversight of aerospace engineering.

Mitchell, as part of his work with the Georgia Department of Economic Development, originally presented on the issue to the aviation subcommittee at a state legislative roundtable in November 2014, and provided additional support as the bill went through review. Mitchell served as a resource to Rep. Spencer as he drafted and then shepherded the bill through the legislative process.

Rep. Spencer’s district would be home to what is planned as a new spaceport for private commercial space flight. He considers the bill to be beneficial to jobs creation and makes Georgia more competitive with Florida for new aerospace jobs in his district and state-wide.