The secretary of the board shall receive and account for all money derived under this chapter and shall pay the money, as provided by law, to the Treasurer of State, who shall keep the money in a separate fund to be known as the "Professional Engineers' Fund." The secretary of the board is entitled to compensation and allowance for clerical hire as approved by the board, in addition to the expenses provided for in section 1303. The board may make other expenditures from this fund, upon itemized vouchers approved by the chair of the board, that in the opinion of the board are reasonably necessary for the proper performance of its duties under this chapter.

Sec. 5. 32 MRSA §1309, as amended by PL 1995, c. 355, §9, is further amended to read:

§1309. Roster of registered engineers

A roster showing the names of all active registered professional engineers and newly certified engineer-interns is prepared by the secretary of the board during the first calendar quarter of each even-numbered year. A supplementary roster of newly registered professional engineers and newly certified engineer-interns is prepared by the secretary of the board during the first calendar quarter of each odd-numbered year. The rosters must give the place of business of each listed registered engineer. Copies of the roster and of the supplementary roster are mailed to each active engineer listed on the roster and furnished to the public upon request for such fees as the board may authorize in its rules.

Sec. 6. 32 MRSA §1352, as amended by PL 1995, c. 355, §11, is repealed.

Sec. 7. 32 MRSA §1352-A is enacted to read:

§1352-A.__Qualifications

To be eligible for registration as a professional engineer, an applicant must submit 5 references with the application for registration as a professional engineer, 3 of which must be registered engineers having personal knowledge of the applicant's engineering experience.__To be eligible for certification as an engineer-intern, an applicant must submit 3 character references with the application for certification.__Each applicant shall demonstrate that the applicant is trustworthy and competent to engage in the practice of engineering in such a manner as to safeguard the interests of the public.