Board of Registration of Architects and Landscape:

●  3,385 active architect licenses and about 150 landscape architects

●  Board composition: five architects, two landscape architects, and one public member.

●  Crystal Heard is our new executive director; former Chair Kato Smith was replaced by Hal Kovert.

●  Maintained a cooperative relationship with AIA Indiana, which helps communicate business of the board to the public.

●  Board provides a liaison to state attorney general for confidential review of all unlicensed practice through consumer complaints.

 

Recent business:

●  Established communication with the State Department of Homeland Security to reveal inactive applicants; formerly, the validity of certification seals were not checked.

●  A house bill that sought to eliminate a number of state professional licensing requirements was amended to remove architects and landscape architects.

●  Changed biannual license renewal period to the end of the year to coincide with the 12-month continuing education standard.

●  With assistance from AIA Indiana, the board secured a rule change through the Office of Management and Budget for a $20 increase in dues to be used toward the investigative fund for unlicensed practice.

●  Established protocol for board to initiate consumer complaints for expired licenses resulting in unlicensed practice violations. The board placed seven individuals on probation after finding they had been practicing with an expired license.

●  Enacted electronic participation policy to allow for members to participate remotely if necessary to establish quorum.

●  The board conducted a continuing education audit of 85 individuals; seven were found to be in non-compliance.

 

Current business:

●  Considering rules change to convert to the 12-month continuing education policy.

●  Establish fine protocol for continuing education non-compliance, with one current case considering the implications of falsifying a renewal form.

●  Confirming/establishing board authority to conduct investigative action—as opposed to attorney general—with new investigative fund.

 

Upcoming business:

●  Establish annual report/mailing.

●  Governance in cases of unlicensed practice.

●  Initiate rules change for continuing education (12-18 month process).

License count as of 15 February 2013: 1,785 active individual registrations; 85 inactive individual registrations; 24 retired individual registrations; 814 active firm registrations.

 

Governor Branstad appointed a new public member to the board this spring. One architect member is eligible for reappointment. New terms began on 1 May 2013.

 

There are currently two pieces of legislation before Iowa’s General Assembly that concern the Iowa Architectural Examining Board:

●  A bill proposed by the board would eliminate the code section for registering architectural business entities. Instead of the current language in the code, business entities will be addressed in rule. The board and stakeholders have met to develop rules.

●  A bill would provide immunity from civil liability for registered architects and professional engineers providing disaster emergency assistance under specified conditions.

License count as of March 2013:

●  Architects: 2,432

●  Architects Emeritus: 35

●  Architect Licenses - voluntarily surrendered: 40

●  Architect Licenses - administratively revoked: 172

●  Architects Licenses - reinstated: 55

●  Certified Interior Designers: 174

 

Legislation

No new legislation changes to the Kentucky Revised Statues were submitted for the current session of the general assembly. The previously adapted biennium budget for fiscal year 2013-14 resulted in the recent sweeping of $200,000 from the board’s restricted fund reserves. The board receives no general fund tax dollars, but generates all operating funds from generated fees.

 

Further changes and updates to Kentucky Administrative Regulations specific to architects and certified interior designers are being submitted for consideration by the Administrative Regulations Review Subcommittee of the General Assembly and should be implemented by summer 2013.

 

New Board Office Location

The board office relocated to new facilities in early July. The office telephone, fax, website, and e-mail addresses remain the same. The new address is:

 

Kentucky Board of Architects

155 East Main Street, Suite 300

Lexington, KY 40507

 

Investigations

In order to improve the enforcement of the regulatory statutes and administrative regulations governing the practice of architecture in Kentucky, the board continues to employ three compliance officers with excellent credentials and experience in both investigative and law enforcement.

 

Activities:

●  The board continues to expand the website at www.boa.ky.gov offering online renewals, active roster accessibility, and electronic form access.

●  The board staff and web consultants have recently completed the conversion of all paper licensee and certificate holder files, both active and inactive, to digitally formatted documents fully utilized by office staff.

●  Representatives of the board continue to work with collateral organizations on legislative matters, including city and county government organizations, home builders, construction related professionals, and code enforcement officials.

●  As is occurring at all government levels, budgetary issues continue to be a problem as the economy has directly impacted the profession and construction industry.

In January, the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA) underwent a reorganization as part of an effort to centralize common processes including some administrative functions related to Michigan’s 14 licensing boards. Through this process, the state plans to enhance the quality of service and provide each board member with a central point of contact.

 

As a result, Gloria Keene has been replaced by Belinda Wright, Manager of the Administrative Section. Wright will be the new Member Board Executive for Michigan’s Board or Architects.

 

Continuing Education

A public hearing for the rules for continuing education was scheduled for 14 March 2013. The hearing also covered the rules for continuing education for engineers and land surveyors. The draft rules for the Board of Architects were prepared before NCARB provisions. Therefore, the board will request that the rules be adjusted to match the NCARB Model Law. The engineers are discouraging the change because it is not known how long the process will take.

 

Board Activity

The board is required to meet a minimum of twice per year. In 2012 the board met in April and October. It heard no appeals in 2012.

 

The board has addressed the following issues:

●  Adjustments to the draft rules for continuing education to align with NCARB Model Law .

●  Developing an emeritus status to address the needs of retired architects. Creating an emeritus status will require legislative action.

●  The Michigan AIA is actively pursuing a change to the licensing regulation to permit electronic seals. It expects the issue to be addressed this calendar year.

 

The governor has appointed one new public member, Dan Lamble.

 

The board is working with Region 4 to potentially host the 2014 regional meeting in Detroit.

●  The Minnesota Board of Architecture, Engineering, Land Surveying, Landscape Architecture, Geo-science and Interior Design issued and renewed more than 17,300 licenses in its 2010 to 2012 renewal period, over seven disciplines, including 3,196 architects. The next renewal period will be June 2014.

●  Our online renewal process has been very successful, with 91 percent renewing online in 2012.

●  Legislative action introduced in 2012 regarding the professional engineer (PE) title, environmental certification for PEs, and ethics was successful in the Senate but failed in the House. This will be reintroduced again this year.

●  Legislation to change interior design, currently a certification, to a license has been introduced into the state legislature by the Minnesota Interior Design Legislative Action Committee (MIDLAC). The full board has not taken a position on this issue.

●  Disciplinary action has increased slightly, with multiple cases of “holding out as an architect” and “unlicensed practice.”

Legislation:

The 129th Ohio General Assembly greatly modified proposed Human Trafficking legislation prior to its adjournment in December 2012. The proposed language would have required one hour of continuing education for all Ohio licensed professions, including architects, and mandatory inspections of firms with more than one licensee using the same address. However, this language was opposed by multiple professions and was stripped from the bill. In the end, the only language remaining requires automatic suspension of a license when the licensee is convicted of human trafficking, followed by a hearing and mandatory revocation. Sponsors plan to introduce another bill in the 130th general assembly; content is unknown at this time.

 

The governor’s proposed budget includes a new 5 percent tax on services, including lawyers, architecture, and engineering. However, the budget requires approval of the legislature and will not go into effect until July 1. Should the proposal meet with opposition from professionals, it could be changed significantly.

 

Schools:

The board continues its outreach program to Ohio’s architecture schools. Every school is visited one or more times annually. Kent State University has made enrollment in IDP mandatory for students in its architecture program. The Ohio Board reimburses students for the $100 IDP enrollment fee.

 

Collaterals:

The executive director represents the board at meetings of the AIA Ohio Board of Directors, and AIA’s past president attends the board’s meetings. Presentations are also made at AIA chapter meetings and state conventions.

 

NCARB visited the Ohio Board at its June meeting.

 

As of 12 February 2013, Ohio has 6,415 active architects.