FINAL BILL REPORT

                  HB 1643

                          C 35 L 93

                     Synopsis as Enacted

 

Brief Description:  Modifying licensure requirements for landscape architects.

 

By Representatives King, Veloria, Heavey, Reams and Jacobsen; by request of Department of Licensing.

 

House Committee on Commerce & Labor

Senate Committee on Labor & Commerce

 

Background:  The composition of the Board of Registration for Landscape Architects is three landscape architects and two members from the general public.

 

Applications for registration must be filed with the director of the Department of Licensing and must include five professional references.  The law is unclear regarding the collection of fees and does not provide for the timely submission of applications.

 

The law provides that the board is to prescribe the scope of the examination and the procedure.  Applicants who fail any subject areas of the test may retake those parts of the test.  However, if the applicant does not pass every part of the exam within five years, he or she must retake the entire exam.

 

The director may issue registration without examination to any applicant who is registered in another state that has substantially equivalent requirements as Washington and that extends reciprocity to applicants who are registered in Washington.

 

A person who loses registration as a result of delinquency for more than one year may only be reinstated upon successful completion of the same examination required of applicants.

 

Summary:  Board composition is changed to four landscape architects and one member of the general public.

 

The director may set the necessary fees for applications, examinations, reexaminations, renewals, and penalties by rule.  An applicant must supply three professional references.  The director may establish a deadline for applications and examination fees.

 

The board is authorized to use a national examination.  A passing score on any section of the examination exempts the applicant from retaking that section of the examination for five years.

 

Applicants seeking reciprocal registration in Washington must be recommended by the board as having met the minimum requirements for registration in Washington.

 

A license that is delinquent for more than five years may be reinstated under the circumstances as the board determines.

 

Votes on Final Passage:

 

House  98 0

Senate 47 0

 

Effective:  July 25, 1993