04/11/2025 09:00 AM Senate FINANCE

SENATE BILL NO. 54                                                                                                            
                                                                                                                                
     "An Act  relating to registered interior  designers and                                                                    
     interior design; extending the  termination date of the                                                                    
     State Board of  Registration for Architects, Engineers,                                                                    
     and  Land Surveyors;  relating to  the  State Board  of                                                                    
     Registration  for   Architects,  Engineers,   and  Land                                                                    
     Surveyors; establishing  requirements for  the practice                                                                    
     of   registered  interior   design;  relating   to  the                                                                    
     practice of architecture,  engineering, land surveying,                                                                    
     landscape architecture, and  registered interior design                                                                    
     by  partnerships;  relating  to   liens  for  labor  or                                                                    
     materials  furnished; relating  to  the procurement  of                                                                    
     landscape architectural  and interior  design services;                                                                    
     and providing for an effective date."                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
9:16:04 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman  relayed that the committee  had previously                                                                    
heard the bill and had taken public testimony.                                                                                  
                                                                                                                                
9:16:37 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
SENATOR  MATT  CLAMAN, SPONSOR,  explained  that  SB 54  did                                                                    
three things:  extended the statutory authorization  for the                                                                    
Board  of Architects,  Engineers, and  Land Surveyors  (AELS                                                                    
Board), added  Registered Interior Designers to  the board's                                                                    
jurisdiction, and  made statutory  changes requested  by the                                                                    
board. The bill  would allow the AELS Board  to continue the                                                                    
important work of regulating  design professionals in Alaska                                                                    
and add a qualified interior designer to the board.                                                                             
                                                                                                                                
9:17:28 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:18:16 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED                                                                                                                      
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl  MOVED to ADOPT proposed  committee substitute                                                                    
for SSSB 54, Work Draft 34-LS0044\H (Gunther, 4/10/25).                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman OBJECTED for discussion.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
9:18:54 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
LIZ HARPOLD, STAFF, SENATOR DONNY  OLSON, explained that the                                                                    
changes in  the bill were  the result of  amendments offered                                                                    
by the sponsor  in the previous committee.  The changes were                                                                    
as follows:                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                                
     Title: Adds  language to conform to  changes adopted in                                                                  
     the  previous version  of  the  bill. Specifically,  it                                                                    
     includes   references  to   "project   costs  for   the                                                                    
     construction,    enlargement,    or   improvement    of                                                                    
     airports;"  and   "relating  to  immunity   for  design                                                                    
     professionals;  relating to  the  cost of  construction                                                                    
     for recreation  centers;" and "relating to  the cost of                                                                    
     construction   of  safe   water  and   hygienic  sewage                                                                    
     disposal facilities in villages."                                                                                          
     Section  1:  New  section.  Provides  a  definition  of                                                                  
     project costs.                                                                                                             
     Sections 2  - 6: Previous  sections 1 -  5, renumbered.                                                                  
     Section 7: Previous section 6,  updated to reflect that                                                                  
     the  Architect,  Engineers  and  Land  Surveyors  Board                                                                    
     shall  adopt  through  regulation  the  definition  for                                                                    
     "interior design" and determine  what type of documents                                                                    
     a "registered interior designer"  is authorized to sign                                                                    
     and  stamp with  an official  seal to  obtain requisite                                                                    
     permits  for construction  projects. Sections  8    32:                                                                  
     Previous sections 7  31, renumbered.                                                                                       
     Section  33: Previous  section 32,  updated to  include                                                                  
     the  definition  of  registered interior  designers  to                                                                    
     coincide with the changes made in new section 7.                                                                           
     Section 34: Previous section 33, renumbered.                                                                             
     Section 35:  New section. Adds  definition for  cost of                                                                  
     construction.                                                                                                              
     Sections  36      39:  Previous   sections  34      37,                                                                  
     renumbered.   Section  40:   New  section.   Conforming                                                                  
     changes. Section 41: New section. Conforming changes.                                                                      
     Section 42: Previous section 38, renumbered.                                                                             
     Section 43: New section, conforming changes.                                                                             
     Sections 44 - 48: Previous  section 39   43, renumbered                                                                  
     and updated with conforming changes.                                                                                       
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Hoffman WITHDREW his OBJECTION. There being NO                                                                         
OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                                                   
                                                                                                                                
9:20:25 AM                                                                                                                    
                                                                                                                                
Co-Chair Stedman asked the sponsor whether all the                                                                              
professions under the legislation were in support of the                                                                        
bill.                                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
Senator  Claman  said  that architect  had  withdrawn  their                                                                    
opposition and  were ambivalent to the  legislation. He said                                                                    
that  the AELS  board was  in  support of  the current  bill                                                                    
version.                                                                                                                        
                                                                                                                                
Senator Kiehl MOVED to report  CSSB 54 out of Committee with                                                                    
individual  recommendations  and   the  accompanying  fiscal                                                                    
note. There being NO OBJECTION, it was so ordered.                                                                              
                                                                                                                                
CS SSSB 54(FIN)  was REPORTED out of committee  with one "do                                                                    
pass"  recommendation  and  with  five  "no  recommendation"                                                                    
recommendations,  and  with  one forthcoming  fiscal  impact                                                                    
note  from   the  Department  of  Commerce,   Community  and                                                                    
Economic Development.                                                                                                           
                                                                                                                                
9:21:40 AM                                                                                                                    
AT EASE                                                                                                                         
                                                                                                                                
9:23:20 AM                                                                                                                    
RECONVENED