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Interior Design Profession Legislation Regulation Licensing

MEANWHILE OFF THE COAST OF NEVADA……

The California AIA is posturing to combat efforts by California Interior Designers to push for an interior design practice act…..

“Interior Design Practice Act
Assembly Speaker Pro Tempore Fiona Ma has introduced AB 2482 to create a Practice Act for Interior Design. This is a proposal that is introduced in California every three to five years; it is part of a nationwide effort led by the American Society of Interior Designers and others who advocate providing interior designers the same legal recognition given to architects and engineers.

The AIACC has historically opposed Interior Design Practice Act efforts, and instead supports the existing state-sanctioned private certification program available to interior designers who meet the education, experience, and examination requirements spelled out in state law.

The AIACC is just beginning its detailed review of AB 2482 and will be working with other groups who in the past have expressed strong reservations to this type of proposal, including the large segment of interior designers who would be economically harmed by this proposal.”

http://aiacc.org/2012/02/28/nearly-2000-new-bills-introduced-by-the-legislature-this-year/

It is PROFESSIONALINTERIORDESIGNER’s marginal opinion that California has the most convoluted interior design regulation (if you can call it that) in the Nation. One would think that with the number of interior designers in California that they would be on the forefront of regulating the practice of ID…..think again O.J.

P.S. Should California AB2482 get approved (chances are….let’s say slim) California will be the first state in the union that will have various forms of regulation that forces a distinction between “certified” interior designers and “registered” interior designers….got it? Okay good.

So if this bill passes then an interior designer in California could be a Certified California Registered Interior Designer and they could be a member of ASID and IIDA. Did I say convoluted?

So it will be interesting to see how far California Assembly Bill AB2482 gets this round.

Stay tuned.

Michael Dudek

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15 responses to “MEANWHILE OFF THE COAST OF NEVADA……”

  1. Christine Avatar
    Christine

    Based upon “the most convoluted interior design regulation”, you need to know that CCIDC was the first private non-profit board created under California law. It is so successful, in fact, that there are now 4 other boards that have been modeled after CCIDC. These boards are the Certified Industrial Hygienists; Registered Tax Preparers; Massage Therapists; and, Common Interest Development Managers. There will likely be more of these types of boards as they do not cost the taxpayers a dime, yet are still under the watchful eye of the state. Just exactly like architects and engineers boards, these new types of boards undergo the regular evaluation of the state (look up sunset review process in the California Dept. of Consumer Affairs).

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  2. Michael Dudek Avatar
    Michael Dudek

    Wow that was quick-
    Okay Christine I am a supporter of professional organizations that self-regulate. Unfortunately not every designer in California is supportive of your model.

    http://www.idc-ca.org/position

    I think it is important for those few designers that actually care enough about ID regulation to fully understand the politics here. There are several sides to the interior design story in California.

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  3. Michael Dudek Avatar
    Michael Dudek

    P.S. What exactly is an industrial hygienist? Is that a fancy word for janitor?

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    1. Christine Avatar
      Christine

      Well, I don’t think your comment about industrial hygienists is very nice, Michael, any more than I like to be called an interior desecrator (which I have been, by idiots who think they are funny) . I looked up industrial hygienist (as you, too, could have done) and see they are defined like so in: CALIFORNIA BUSINESS AND PROFESSIONS CODE SECTION 20700
      20700. As used in this chapter:
      (a) “Industrial hygiene” means the science and art devoted to the anticipation, recognition, evaluation, and control of environmental
      factors or stresses which may cause sickness, impaired health and
      well-being, or significant discomfort and inefficiency among workers
      or among the citizens of a community.

      portion of (c) … and shall maintain certification criteria that are at
      least the equivalent of the American Board of Industrial Hygiene.

      The ABIH says this – – and it’s pretty darned impressive, if you ask me.

      A Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH) is an individual who has met the minimum requirements for education and experience, and through examination, has demonstrated a minimum level of knowledge in the following rubric (subject matter) areas:

      * Air Sampling & Instrumentation
      * Analytical Chemistry
      * Basic Science
      * Biohazards
      * Biostatistics & Epidemiology
      * Community Exposure
      * Engineering Controls/Ventilation
      * Ergonomics
      * Health Risk Analysis & Hazard Communication
      * IH Program Management
      * Noise
      * Non-Engineering Controls
      * Radiation – Ionizing and Non-ionizing
      * Thermal Stressors
      * Toxicology
      * Work Environments & Industrial Processes
      http://www.abih.org/general/cihcaih.html#defining

      So to answer your question, yeah, sure. They are nothing more than janitors. (rolling my eyes)

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  4. Michael Dudek Avatar
    Michael Dudek

    Okay you got me. I was wrong. I apologize to all of the certified industrial hygienists of the world……
    Now about that interior design practice act………
    Does the CCIDC support it?

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    1. Christine Avatar
      Christine

      Oh, I’m sure the Certified Industrial Hygienists won’t mind. At least we (now) know who they are, even if their title does sound a little weird! lol !

      Okay, sure, back to practice acts, etc. I guess what really needs to be asked is: “will the state of California support it”.

      Historically, the answer has been “no”. Practice acts for interior designers have been defeated by CA lawmakers for quite some time (see
      http://www.clcid.org/HISTORYCLCID.html ) and this was years before our economy went down the tubes!!!

      Oh, also, if you don’t mind me taking up space, CCIDC is not a professional organization that self-regulates (nor is it “our” model.) It is a nonprofit governing board that certifies designers and reports to the CA Joint Committee on Boards, Commissions and Consumer Protection. (just lookup CA B&P 5800, it’s all there).

      Despite what this IDC-CA (funded by ASID) group says, CCIDC cannot do whatever they want, whenever they want. They answer to the state.
      And ‘voluntary certification’ is the state’s model for us. The state said to professional interior designers (back in 1990): (paraphrasing) “this is what you will have.” Hope this helps.

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  5. Michael Dudek Avatar
    Michael Dudek

    Well honestly……it helps only a little. I am not the sharpest knife in the deck of cards but how do you not support the self regulatory effort of C.I.D’ers in California? If it is not self regulation what exactly is it?
    So why is there two distinct party lines for interior designers in the state? Sure you are the only one who is posting here (and I honestly do not mind) but I have garnered a following of 30+ people who actually care about this very narrow subject. So if I can speak for us- how is this not convoluted?

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  6. Michael Dudek Avatar
    Michael Dudek

    Let me put the question another way-
    Why two groups who supposedly represent “interior designers” posing two different models to achieve what I believe to be one objective?

    So convince me and others that your model is not convoluted. If you can I would be happy to support it.

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    1. Avatar
      Anonymous

      What two groups exactly do you mean? There are so many in California. Can you define convoluted? Is something convoluted when it is non conforming? I am enjoying our discussion very much but I don’t want to assume anything or read between your lines.

      What I do know is this: In California we have Certified Interior Designer law and there is a governing board which carries out the law under the watchful eye, concern and direction of the California Legislature (IN THE SAME EXACT WAY that all other Title Acts are carried out). Now the ONLY difference here is the governing board does not take tax payer money to carry out the law. Is this what you think is convoluted?

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      1. Christine Avatar
        Christine

        Oh ..sorry, I did not mean to post my reply anonymously. Where are other designers? No one likes this topic? (・・?

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  7. Michael Dudek Avatar
    Michael Dudek

    Well I’ve had a spike in views since this discussion has started…unless you have clicked 80 times. I am speaking of only interior design groups. As far as I know there are two who claim to provide regulatory oversight, or at least have a plan to do so. The CCIDC and the IDC-CA. Why is that?

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    1. Christine Avatar
      Christine

      Okay, I can answer this (mostly). I went to the CCIDC web and clicked on About. (something you could have done too, but oh well, guys always want women do the research – lol). From what I see: CCIDC is the only state recognized Calif. nonprofit public benefit corp. that administers the Certified Interior Designer law . The “why” of CCIDC is because they were (and still are) the group that was formed under the CID law. For all intents and purposes they are exactly like the Calif. Architects Board except they don’t run on payer $.

      IDC-CA: From what I can tell they are a lobbying arm of mainly ASID national and may have a few members from other design assn’s. They have no regulatory oversight, and the “why” of them is, heck, I don’t know. Sorry. I’m going to watch a movie now.

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  8. Michael Dudek Avatar
    Michael Dudek

    I hope you enjoyed your movie- back to our discussion. So if the CCIDC is exactly like the Calif. Architects Board then why is the AIACC (the starting point of this thread) concerned about California Assembly Bill 2482 and for that matter why does a segment of interior designers in California feel it necessary to pursue state sanctioned regulation in the first place?

    So you don’t see the confusion here?

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    1. Christine Avatar
      Christine

      Yes! I think we’ve finally come full circle to your starting point! It says “The AIACC has historically opposed Interior Design Practice Act efforts, and instead supports the existing state-sanctioned private certification program available to interior designers who meet the education, experience, and examination requirements spelled out in state law.”

      This answers your own question (as to why the AICC is concerned with Ass.Bill2482). Ass.Bill2482 is NOT about “existing state-sanctioned private certification (etc) spelled out in state law.” Get it?

      I think your readers will get it. I’m looking forward to reading your next new topic. There’s not much else to say about this one. 🙂 And yes, thanks, I did enjoy the movie. It was a drama called “Doubt” w/ Merle Streep and Seymour Phillip Hoffman (who I think are the two best living American actors today).

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  9. Michael Dudek Avatar
    Michael Dudek

    Well coming full circle means we did not really get anywhere in a roundabout way……..Sounds like the profession in general…

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