HOUSE BILL REPORT

                  HB 1755

             As Reported By House Committee on:

                      Commerce & Labor

Title:  An act relating to registration of architects.

Brief Description:  Revising provisions for registration of architects.

Sponsor(s):  Representatives Braddock, Bowman and Anderson.

Brief History:

  Reported by House Committee on:

Commerce & Labor, February 28, 1991, DP.

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON

COMMERCE & LABOR

Majority Report: Do pass.  Signed by 8 members:  Representatives Heavey, Chair; Cole, Vice Chair; Fuhrman, Ranking Minority Member; Lisk, Assistant Ranking Minority Member; Franklin; Jones; O'Brien; and Prentice.

Minority Report: Do not pass.  Signed by 1 member:  Representative Vance.

Staff:  Jim Kelley (786-7166).

Background:  A person may not practice architecture in Washington unless the person is registered or authorized by the Department of Licensing to practice.  An applicant for registration must be of good moral character, be at least 18 years of age, and must have an accredited architectural degree and three years of practical work experience approved by the board or have eight years of practical work experience approved by the board.  Each year spent in an accredited architectural program is considered one year of experience. 

If an applicant was practicing but was not registered before July 28, 1985, was designing buildings as a principal activity for eight years, and applied for registration within four years after July 28, 1985, the person was authorized to design buildings during the four year period after July 28, 1985, and during the five year period after application for registration.

Summary of Bill:  An applicant who was practicing but was not registered before July 28, 1985, has until July 28, 1995, in which to apply for registration and in which he or she may design buildings without being registered.

Fiscal Note:  Requested February 22, 1991.

Effective Date:  Ninety days after adjournment of session in which bill is passed.

Testimony For:  This bill opens up the window of opportunity that many people in the industry thought was still available or never knew about.

Testimony Against:  In 1985, when this law went into effect, it was a compromise measure.  Now, the proponents of the bill find it is too late to take advantage of the loophole that was granted in the original law, so they want to extend it.

Witnesses:  Representative Dennis Braddock, Prime Sponsor; Roger Rue, Architect (opposed); Cliff Webster, Architects and Engineers Legislative Council (opposed); and Wayne T. Sorenson, WSABD and AIBD (in favor).