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That's what the story by a Dallas channel 33, News at Nine Intern says, but that's not what the law says.

IANAL, but reading the law, I see that it is directed at Computer Security and Computer Forensics professionals, not the type of stuff the Geek Squad does. From the law: "review and analysis of, and the investigation into the content of, computer-based data" and "including forensic analysis, burglar alarm system engineering, and necessary data collection." It is about gathering evidence for criminal prosecution.

The certification of computing professionals is not a new idea. There is already an organization that does it. The Institute for the Certification of Computer Professionals http://www.iccp.org/ has been doing it for decades. This certification was recomended by the DPMA (Data Processors Management Association) back in the 70's. The DPMA is now known as the Association of Information Technology Professionals http://www.aitp.org/.

From the article:
Despite an eroding manufacturing base and the threat of "offshoring" of some technical services, there's a rising demand for science and engineering skills.
What I get from this is that if you're a member of the IEEE and/or AITP etc., (basically any industry-recognized accreditation body,) you have nothing to worry about. On the other hand, you had better start praying if you are just a tech.

I think the state board of licensure fined him something around $50,000? Absolutely rediculous.

Actually, it's not that uncommon. Most states' engineering license board will go to extreme lengths to protect the "engineer" name (and collect the fines) if the individual or company is not a licensed engineer (typically, a civil engineer).

The state of Texas wanted individuals who are software engineers to be licensed professional engineers or stop using the word "engineer" entirely. A brief summary is here. It's both a snobbery thing (e.g., my engineering degree is better than yours) and a revenue enchancement thing (e.g., state got to get the money somehow). Either way, you're screwed if you're in the middle.

AITP? My college seems to push for everyone to join this.

I wish that they would make a qualifying exam for software engineers, so that one could get a PE in software engineering.

They have.

Check it out

I think one of the problems we face is that a lot of IT workers refuse to accept that they might have trouble down the line in terms of finding employment. I can't tell you how many posts on slashdot (I'm sure we'll see some here) go along the lines of, "I was hired because I know what I'm doing! If you have trouble then that's somehow due to your lack of skills!". It's a pretty naive view; in the real world your job is dependent on a lot of things, and your actual competence isn't the only one (many times it's not even the most important). The state of the economy, the cluefulness of management, and luck all play a factor.

To answer the question posted, yes, it's mostly employers wanting to get out of paying American workers what they're worth. Personally I think the best thing for IT workers to do is unionize, along the lines of other professional workers; something like the American Medical Association or American Bar Association. Believe me, if the AMA sees legislation pending that would adversely affect their members, they move fast and they move hard. The Association of Information Technology Professionals fulfills this role to an extent; they do apparently lobby congress. I've looked through their 1999 report, and it doesn't say anything about a position regarding increasing H1B workers. They did, however, speak against UCITA, so they can't be all bad. Someone more knowledgeable about this organization would have to tell you more, but I think a lot of IT people are going to have to overcome to a certain degree their independent streak if they want to ensure that they're treated fairly in the workplace.
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