On January 21, 2020, ASID and IIDA participated in two public hearings on HB 1193 and SB 474, which attempt to deregulate the profession of interior design by eliminating the interior design license, eliminating the title “registered interior designer,” removing interior designers from the Board of Architecture & Interior Design, and eliminating the interior design construction document stamp. Despite excellent testimony by practitioners and our consultants, the House Subcommittee on Business and Professions passed through HB 1193 unamended, as expected.
After months of working with the Senate and the excellent work of Senators Wilton Simpson and Ben Albritton, SB 474 was amended in a Senate committee hearing on 1/21 to add back the title “registered interior designer,” add back interior designers to the Board of Architecture & Interior Design, and add back the interior design construction stamp to the bill. That amendment was adopted and is now contained in SB 474. Because of this, the profession now SUPPORTS SB 474 while continuing to OPPOSE HB 1193.
Both deregulation bills have two more committees that they must go through before the can be considered in the full Senate and House. There are still 7 weeks to go in the Legislative Session so there is still much work to do by our consultants to ensure our language remains in SB 474 and is eventually approved by the full Legislature.
ASID and IIDA would like to thank Sens. Simpson and Albritton for their help and support of our amendment language and we will keep our membership updated as the legislative process continues.
- Wanda Gozdz
Link to Senate Bill 474: http://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2020/00474
Link to House Bill 1193: https://www.flsenate.gov/Session/Bill/2019/1193
July 1st 2020 Press Release https://www.asid.org/press-releases/asid-empowers-interior-design-profession-through-reform-legislation-in-florida