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