During the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards' (NCARB) 2021 Annual Business Meeting in Los Angeles, delegates representing 54 of the Council’s 55 Member Boards, which oversee the practice of architecture in their individual jurisdictions, voted on Resolutions 2021-02-08. In addition, NCARB's membership voted on Resolution 2021-01 at a special meeting held prior to the Annual Business Meeting. 

[Resolution 2021-01] [Resolution 2021-02] [Resolution 2021-03] [Resolution 2021-04] [Resolution 2021-05] [Resolution 2021-06] [Resolution 2021-07] [Resolution 2021-08]

Resolution 2021-01: NCARB Bylaws Amendment - Remote Meetings

Passed 52-0

RESOLVED, that Article V–NCARB Meetings of the NCARB Bylaws be amended to insert a new Section 3 to read as follows:

“Section 3. Remote Meetings. The Annual Business Meeting and any Special Meetings may be held as a Remote Meeting. The Bylaws provisions which govern calling and providing notice for, and the procedures and conduct of business of, the Annual Business Meeting or special meetings, as applicable, shall apply to Remote Meetings. Holding a Remote Meeting does not preclude allowing participants to gather in a designated location during such meeting.”

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the sections following the insertion in Article V be renumbered;

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the following definition for “Remote Meeting” be inserted in Article II of the NCARB Bylaws after the definition of “Registration” and before the definition of “Voting Delegate”:

““Remote Meeting” shall mean any Annual Business Meeting or any Special Meeting held by telephone or video conference technology or other electronic communications technology that allows all participants to hear and participate in the proceedings and to vote, pose questions, and make comments.”

FURTHER RESOLVED, that upon the approval of the changes by a two-thirds majority of the Council Member Boards, such changes will become effective immediately.

Resolution 2021-02: NCARB Certification Guidelines Amendment – Qualifications for Education Alternative

Passed 48-2

RESOLVED, that Section 2.2 (Alternatives to the Education Requirement) of the NCARB Certification Guidelines be amended as follows:

“If you do not hold a professional degree in architecture as identified in Section 1.2, NCARB will accept either of the following:

A. Three (3) years of cContinuous licensure as an architect for the last three (3) consecutive years in any U.S. jurisdiction with no disciplinary action from any jurisdiction; and Documentation of experience gained pre-licensure and/or post-licensure. The experience must be verified either by a supervisor as allowed by the NCARB Architectural Experience Program or by an architect familiar with the work of the applicant:

1. Architects who hold a four-year bachelor's degree that includes significant coursework in architecture (as determined by NCARB)bachelor degree in an architecture-related program awarded by a U.S. regionally accredited institution or the Canadian equivalent must document two times (2x) the experience requirement of the NCARB Architectural Experience Program.

* Bachelor’s Degree that includes significant coursework in architecturein an Architecture-related Program: The term refers to any baccalaureate degree in an architecture-related programfrom an institution with U.S. regional accreditation that is awarded after earning less than 150 semester credits or the quarter-hour equivalent. resulting from significant architecture coursework, in an amount determined to be acceptable by NCARB. For instance these degrees have titles such as Bachelor of Science in Architecture, Bachelor of Science in Architectural Studies, Bachelor of Arts in Architecture, Bachelor of Environmental Design, Bachelor of Architectural Studies, etc. This list is neither all-inclusive nor exhaustive. The amount of architecturally-defined content in these programs architecture coursework that is required may vary from institution to institution.”

FURTHER RESOLVED, that upon the approval of the changes by an absolute majority of the Council Member Boards, such changes will become effective July 1, 2021.

Resolution 2021-03: NCARB Certification Guidelines Amendment – Qualifications for Foreign Alternative

Passed 50-1

RESOLVED, that the first sentence of Section 4 (Requirements for Certification of an Architect Credentialed by a Foreign Registration Authority) of the NCARB Certification Guidelines be amended as follows:

“A “Foreign Architect” is an individual who holds a current registration in good standing in a country other than the United States or Canada at the time of application, which allows such individual to use the title “architect” and to engage in the unlimited practice of architecture (defined as the ability to provide any architectural services on any type of building in any state, province, territory, or other political subdivision of his/hertheir national jurisdiction) in that country. A "current registration" may include a license that is eligible for reinstatement upon re-establishment of residency, and/or payment of fees.”

FURTHER RESOLVED, that upon the approval of this resolution by an absolute majority of the Council Member Boards, such amendments will become effective July 1, 2021.

Resolution 2021-04: Sunset of Resolution 2000-1 (Opposition to Interior Design Licensing)

Passed 51-2

RESOLVED, that the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards sunset Resolution 2000-1: Opposition of Interior Design Licensing:

“RESOLVED, inasmuch as the licensing of interior designers may not protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public in the built environment, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards opposes the enactment of additional interior designer licensing laws and directs the Board of Directors (i) to monitor the licensing efforts of the interior designers, (ii) to take appropriate actions to oppose such efforts, and (iii) to continue to support Member Boards of the Council with accurate information with which the Member Boards may effectively oppose such efforts.”

FURTHER RESOLVED, that upon the approval of the sunset by a majority of the Council Member Boards, such change will become effective July 1, 2021.

Resolution 2021-05: Amendment and Restatement of the NCARB Legislative Guidelines and Model Law/Model Regulations

Passed 50-2

RESOLVED, that the NCARB Legislative Guidelines and Model Law/Model Regulations are hereby amended and restated in the form attached hereto in Appendix A; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that the document be renamed “NCARB Model Law and Regulations”; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that upon the approval of the changes by an absolute majority of the Council Member Boards, such changes will become effective July 1, 2021.

Resolution 2021-06: Omnibus Sunset of Resolutions in Conflict with Current Council Policies

Passed 53-0

RESOLVED, that the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards sunsets the following resolutions, the full texts of which are attached hereto as Appendix D:

• Resolution 1996-03: Encouraging Recognition of Practice of Academic Promotion/Tenure
• Resolution 1995-11: Addition of the IDP Requirement to Architectural School Catalogs
• Resolution 1994-01: Amending 1992 Resolution to Authorize Two ADVP Monographs Each Year
• Resolution 1992-06 and 07: Professional Development (Continuing Education)/Activating ADVP
• Resolution 1987-15: Removal of Impediments to Interstate Practice
• Resolution 1983-04 Establishing a Procedure for Evaluating Alternate Education

FURTHERED RESOLVED, that upon the approval of the foregoing resolution by a majority of the Council Member Boards, such change will become effective July 1, 2021.

Resolution 2021-07: NCARB Bylaws Amendment – Director Term Limits

Passed 51-2

RESOLVED, that Article VII (NCARB Board of Directors), Section 3 (Terms of Office and Election) of the NCARB Bylaws be amended as follows:

“SECTION 3. Terms of Office and Election. The term of office of a Director shall be one year from the adjournment of the Annual Business Meeting at which he or she is they are elected to serve or, in the case of President/Chair of the Board and Immediate Past President, succeeds to office, until the adjournment of the next Annual Business Meeting or until his or hertheir successor is duly elected and succeeds to office. No person shall serve more than threetwo terms in succession as a Regional Director or three terms in succession as a Member Board Executive Director or Public Director; provided, however, that service as an Elected Officer and Immediate Past President shall not count against such limits. No incumbent shall serve for more than one term in any Elected Officer position or as Immediate Past President; provided, however, that an Elected Officer shall be eligible for re-election for the full term of office if, during the period immediately prior thereto, such Elected Officer had succeeded to or been elected to the office to fill a vacancy.”

FURTHER RESOLVED, that upon the approval of the changes by a two-thirds majority of the Council Member Boards, such changes will become effective July 1, 2022.

Resolution 2021-08: Member Board Dues Reduction

Passed 54-0

RESOLVED, that Council membership dues be reduced from $6,500 to $1,000; and

FURTHER RESOLVED, that Article XI, Section 1 of the NCARB Bylaws be amended to only require membership approval for due increases as follows:

“A. Annual membership dues may be changed for any period, by resolution adopted at an Annual Business Meeting with implementation of any change increase to take place not less than three years after such resolution is adopted.”

FURTHER RESOLVED, that upon the approval by a two-third majority of the Council Member Boards, such change to the membership dues will become effective July 1, 2024, while the Board of Director’s authority to waive the membership fee differential prior to such time shall become effective July 1, 2021.