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Illinois Legislature Passes Practice Rights Legislation
Published 6.13.22
The state of Illinois has become the 15th state to confer independent practice rights on NCIDQ Certified interior designers. On June 10, Governor J.B. Pritzker signed HB 4715 into law, which provides a stamp that Illinois Registered Interior Designers may use to seal interior, nonstructural construction plans for permitting. Achieving this goal was a collaborative effort between state members of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA).
The legislation was sponsored by Representative Margaret Croke (D) and Senator Laura Fine (D). The bill garnered wide support in both parties, exemplified by several co-sponsorships and passing with unanimous passage in both the House and the Senate. Illinois joins several states including Wisconsin and North Carolina that have committed to reasonable regulation of interior design.
“Interior designers are highly-skilled professionals who must have significant qualifications to pursue a career in the industry,” said bill sponsor State Representative Margaret Croke. “This bill will allow them to stamp their own design plans for non-structural construction, removing an unnecessary barrier for those in the industry. Interior design is a traditionally female-dominated industry, and I’m proud to lead efforts to ease the challenges they face.”
These efforts show the continued importance of reasonable regulation of interior design to protect the public in the built environment. CIDQ thanks Representative Croke and Senator Fine for their support of public protection and applauds the design professionals of Illinois who worked tirelessly on this historic achievement.
Wisconsin Legislature Modernizes Interior Design Regulation
Published 3.21.22
On March 17th, 2022, Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers signed SB 344 into law, which provides Wisconsin Registered Interior Designers the ability to stamp and seal their own plans for construction permitting. Passage of this law marks the latest success in the nationwide effort of ASID, IIDA, and CIDQ to establish reasonable regulation of interior design. This new law makes Wisconsin the 14th state to allow qualified, certified interior designers to practice independently.
First introduced during the 2020 session and sponsored by Representative Cody Horlacher and Senator Dale Kooyenga, the new legislation reinforces the critical role of Wisconsin interior designers who protect occupant health safety in their work through robust practice rights and a strong scope of practice. In addition to stamp and seal privileges for WRIDs, the new law also adds a Board for Interior Designers to the Joint Examining Board along with the other design professions.
CIDQ looks forward to working with the Wisconsin Department of Safety and Professional Services and the Board in the coming weeks to provide Wisconsin NCIDQ Certificate holders with more information about this new law. We commend the members of ASID, IIDA and AIA for their hard work on this legislation and applaud the Wisconsin Legislature for modernizing and advancing reasonable interior design regulation in their state.
AIA Revises Interior Design Opposition Position Statement
Published 1.18.22
At their December 10th board meeting, the Board of Directors at the American Institute of Architects (AIA) voted to revise a long-standing organizational position statement of opposition to reasonable regulation of interior design in US jurisdictions. The new position eliminates “outright” opposition to interior design licensure, and due to the change, AIA state components are no longer compelled by AIA National to oppose interior design regulation proposals in their jurisdiction. According to AIA, the revision is intended to allow AIA state components to “be more flexible and to negotiate and discuss options and remedies with legislators, regulators, and partner groups that best suit their respective state since each state is different.” In addition to the new position statement, AIA has created an FAQ document about the Board’s decision.
The newly approved AIA position statement is as follows:
“In the public interest, the AIA holds that architects licensed through rigorous examination possess the necessary education, training, and experience to lead the design process and protect the health, safety, and welfare in the built environment. While other regulated or licensed professionals may participate or be responsible for specialized and focused components, architects are uniquely qualified to take responsible control for the coordinated integration of building systems through a comprehensive understanding of design, construction, and the coordination of project teams from project inception to completion.”
CIDQ believes this is a good first step towards a more informed and productive dialogue between the interior design and architecture communities on this issue, and an important development for the advancement of the public protection through reasonable regulation. There is still much work to be done, and more informed conversations to be had between the design professions. CIDQ commends AIA for taking this important first step, and we look forward to participating in and helping to inform those discussions.
North Carolina Passes Practice Rights Legislation
Published 7.13.21
The North Carolina General Assembly has passed a bill that establishes interior design practice rights in the state, becoming the 28th state to enact interior design regulation. The bill, SB 188, was a consensus agreement between the North Carolina Board of Architects and the North Carolina chapters of ASID and IIDA, and was signed into law by Governor Roy Cooper on July 9.
The new law goes into effect immediately and creates the voluntary protected title of “Registered Interior Designer”, a title for which NCIDQ certificate holders can now apply with the new North Carolina Board of Architecture and Registered Interior Designers. The bill also establishes a modernized and well-defined scope of practice for interior design, adds three interior design members to the board, and allows registered interior designers to obtain a seal to stamp their own interior plans for permitting.
This legislation is an historic accomplishment for the interior design community and represents a new standard for interior design regulation in U.S. jurisdictions and abroad. With this new law, the design community now has a path to work together to finally recognize modern, independent interior design practice, while respecting the historic role of architecture and fulfilling our shared commitment to protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public in the built environment.
If you have any questions about the new North Carolina law, please contact Government Affairs Manager Matthew Barusch at mbarusch@cidq.org.
Interior Design Legislation Enacted in Oklahoma
Published 5.25.21
As of May 10, there are new changes to interior design regulation in the state of Oklahoma, thanks to legislation passed by the Oklahoma Legislature. Signed into law by Governor Kevin Stitt, the bill, HB 1147, allows interior designers in Oklahoma to practice autonomously, providing that registered commercial interior designers can now stamp and seal their own construction plans. This is a positive development in interior design regulation, and for certified interior designers in Oklahoma.
In addition to allowing registered commercial interior designers to stamp and seal their own plans for permitting, the new law changes the protected title in the state to “registered commercial interior designer” and revises the scope of practice by adding definitions for commercial interior design, nonstructural commercial interior construction, and fire and life safety systems. The measure, which will go into effect July 1, 2021, also adds another interior designer member to the "Board of Governors of the Licensed Architects, Landscape Architects and Registered Commercial Interior Designers of Oklahoma.”
CIDQ supports legislation that allows NCIDQ certificate holders to practice to the fullest extent of their professional capabilities and applauds the Oklahoma Legislature for taking this step to support interior design regulation and protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.
Practice Rights Legislation Reintroduced in Wisconsin
Published 5.20.21
Practice rights legislation has been reintroduced in the Wisconsin Legislature. Though Wisconsin currently has a title act, the state does not provide a construction document stamp for designers to seek a building permit for their work.
The bill, AB 320, provides registered interior designers with the capability to stamp and seal their own construction plans for permitting. Similar language passed through the Senate and was heard in the Assembly in 2019 but did not advance further due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill has garnered broad, bipartisan support, and has been referred to the Assembly Committee on Regulatory Licensing Reform, chaired by bill cosponsor Shae Sortwell(R). The bill was recently heard in this committee on May 18.
The professional organizations supporting the interior design profession, the American Society of Interior Design, and International Interior Design Association, are actively advocating in support of this legislation. For more information about the effort to establish practice rights in Wisconsin, text 'interior design' to 52886.