A C S N E W S

Board Revises Policy on Licensing Updates 1953 statement to include

registration and certification

A revised statement of the Society's views on licensing, registration, and certification of chemists and chemical engineers was approved by the Board of Directors at its recent meeting in Los Angeles. Based mainly on a staff review of regulatory control (C&EN, July 24, 1961, page 65) , the Board's action also took into account a recent increase in the number of states con­sidering legislation that could affect the activities of clinical chemists, among others.

The previous statement of policy on the subject, issued in 1953, was con­cerned solely with the compulsory licensing of chemists, especially those working in the health field and sup­plying chemical data for use by phy­sicians. The new policy re-emphasizes the earlier ACS position on this aspect, and also considers two other forms of regulation—registration and certifica­tion—which can affect a larger number of members.

Here is the background and new statement:

ACS Policy Statement on Licensing, Registration, and Certification

The principle of regulation of mem­bers of a profession or occupational group by a state or municipal govern­ment is widely practiced as a safeguard to public health, safety, or welfare. To some extent, public authority also views regulation as an aid in helping to identify the qualifications and pro­fessional status of individual practi­tioners who are affected by such stat­utes.

Regulation takes one of three forms —certification, registration, or licensing. For purposes of clarification, these are described as follows:

• Certification. The action of some authoritative organization, such as the American Chemical Society, in attest­ing to the professional qualifications of its members or of a specifically-skilled employment group. Diplomas or cer­tificates are issued to individuals who possess the required qualifications. By implication, anyone not possessing such a certificate is regarded as being

less skilled in the specified area of work. Certification essentially is a voluntary operation having little or no recognized legal status.

• Registration. The official applica­tion of certification when the individ­ual practitioner is required by a state or municipality to register in order to practice. Those who are registered may be regarded as the only individ­uals qualified to practice their pro­fession. An examination is usually in­volved, but it may be voluntary.

• Licensing. The legal extension of registration. It is compulsory for those who practice certain professions—to practice without a license is illegal. An examination may or may not be required.

Many occupational groups are regu­lated by one or another of these meas­ures with the objective of serving the public interest. Hence, practitioners of the healing arts, some categories of engineers involved in civic projects, and lawyers (among others) are li­censed or otherwise regulated in the locales in which they perform their services.

Members of the chemical profession, in general, have been less willing to accept regulation principally for three reasons: (1) Relatively few deal di­rectly with the public in matters which affect health or safety; (2) most be­lieve there are better ways of demon­strating scientific competency or achieving public recognition; and (3) many shun outside control of their work activities.

Only clinical chemists, who make determinations relating to health, have recognized a continuing need for reg­ulation, and for these the Society has endorsed licensure by state authorities. Yet, interest in regulation persists among certain other chemists and there are indications that public welfare might benefit through voluntary regis­tration of certain categories of chem­ists in addition to those doing clinical work.

The American Chemical Society has issued three previous declarations of policy on regulation, the most recent of which was published in 1953. All three rejected the principle of manda­tory licensure or registration except for clinical chemists. The basis for these statements has been provided in part by polls of the membership to ob­tain views on this important subject. The surveys repeatedly have shown the following results:

1. A large majority oppose compul­sory state licensure of chemists.

2. A large majority also oppose legal registration of chemists.

3. As many oppose as favor a na­tional certification plan for chemists.

4. A large majority feel that the ACS should take an official position on licensing, registration, and certifica­tion of those in the chemical profes­sion.

In view of these polls, and also in recognition of the need to place com­petent chemists in charge of work which affects public health, safety, or welfare, the Society believes it appro­priate to issue a new statement bring­ing up to date its policy concerning the regulation of chemical scientists through licensing, registration, or cer­tification. This statement is as fol­lows:

(1) The American Chemical Society endorses the compulsory licensure of those members of the chemical profes­sion who are in responsible charge and supervision of chemical work that pro­vides data to physicians or other prac­titioners of the healing arts for de­termining the presence, progess, or source of disease in man.

(2) The Society opposes compul­sory licensure or registration for mem­bers of the chemical profession en­gaged in chemical work other than that of the type described in para­graph (1) .

(3) The Society does not oppose the voluntary registration of those mem­bers of the chemical profession who may be, in some way other than that covered by paragraph (1) , in respon­sible charge and supervision of tasks which bear significantly upon public health, safety, and welfare.

(4) The Society believes that the licensure or registration of an indi­vidual who is in responsible charge and supervision of the type of chemi­cal work described in paragraphs (1) and (3) should be based solely on competence in a field of chemistry as indicated by the individual's ability to meet the requirements for a member of the Society, and that the specific academic degree held should not of itself be considered a necessary or suf­ficient qualification.

(5) The Society believes that the licensure or registration of an indi­vidual who is in responsible charge and supervision of the type of work described in paragraphs (1) and (3) should be based only on the specific knowledge and training necessary for the disciplinary area in which he oper­ates, as specified on the license or reg­istration certificate.

(6) The Society does not endorse the concept of certification as a means of identifying the qualifications of chemists and chemical engineers. It believes that those individuals capable of meeting the Society's membership requirements have supplied adequate evidence of their attainments.

114 C & E N A P R I L 2 9, 19 6 3

Philadelphia Section Receives ACS Award Dr. Lawrence T. Eby (left), regional director for the Third District, presents the ACS Local Section Member Relations Award to Dr. Ellington M. Beavers, chairman of the section in 1961. The section was honored for an outstanding program of member relations during 1961. The award was given prior to the Edgar Fahs Smith Memorial Lecture, which the section sponsors each year.

Memorial to Dr. Allen D. Bliss

A committee has been formed to honor the memory of Dr. Allen D. Bliss, sen­ior production editor for the Society's basic journals, who died March 12.

At the family's request, the honor will be a memorial gift to Simmons College. Those wishing to support this honor should send contributions to Simmons College, designating them for the Allen Douglass Bliss Memorial Fund.

Nichols Medal Nominees Sought The ACS New York Section invites in­dividuals or groups to present names of nominees for the Nichols Medal Award, the oldest award under ACS sponsorship.

Nominees to be considered should have "published a significant and orig­inal contribution in the field of chem­istry" during the past five years.

Nominations must be received on or before June 21. Include five copies of supporting data (publications, other awards, and the like). Past candidates may be renominated. Address nomi­

nations to the Secretary of the Jury of Award.

New Staff Member

Halley A. Merrell, Jr., has joined the Society's headquarters staff in Wash­

ington, D C , as a writer in the of­fice of informa­tion services of the Division of Public, Profes­sional, and Mem­ber Relations. A native of Norfolk,

Va., Mr. Merrell received a B.S. in chemistry from Virginia Polytechnic Institute in 1957.

He was a development engineer at National Vulcanized Fibre Co., York-lyn, Del. (1957-60), and a research chemist with Virginia Chemicals and Smelting Co., West Norfolk, Va., spe­cializing in water treatment chemicals. He has done graduate work in chemis­try at the University of Delaware.

Mr. Merrell has been a member of the executive committee of the Hamp­ton Roads Section and a director of the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Portsmouth, Va.

Olin strikes again.

We couldn't leave Aminobenzotrifluoride alone. We had to purify it.

We did it to both forms. Meta and Ortho.

Both for use as chemical intermediates in the prepara­tion of new pharmaceuticals, fungicides, herbicides, veteri­nary medicinals, insecticides and pest control compounds.

We weren't even content to let them stay in 1 and 5 gal. cans. We just had to put them in 55 gal. drums too.

Why did we do it? We have a nasty habit of

trying to be better than the next guy.

Olin O R G A N I C S D I V I S I O N SPECIALTY CHEMICALS, 100 McKEE RD., ROCHESTER, N.Y.

A P R I L 29, 1963 C & E N 115