SB 73-REGISTER INTERIOR DESIGNERS  2:23:52 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN announced the consideration of SENATE BILL NO. 73 "An Act relating to registered interior designers and interior design; establishing requirements for the practice of registered interior design; renaming the State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors the State Board of Registration for Design Professionals; relating to the State Board of Registration for Design Professionals; relating to liens for labor or materials furnished; relating to the procurement of interior design services; and providing for an effective date." CHAIR BJORKMAN said this is the fourth hearing of this bill. The intention is to consider committee substitute (CS), version \D. He reminded the committee that the motion to adopt the committee substitute, version U, was withdrawn on April 24. He invited Ms. Kakaruk to put herself on the record and offer a recap of SB 73. 2:24:52 PM BREANNA KAKARUK, Staff, Senator Matt Claman, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, gave a recap of SB 73. This bill establishes registration for educated and qualified interior designers wishing to practice registered interior design in buildings of public occupancy within a regulated scope of services impacting public safety. SB 73 will ensure designers practicing in public occupancy buildings are qualified to do so, providing another measure of public safety protection and risk mitigation for commercial buildings. This bill will increase the number of design professionals who are able to work independently within the commercial real estate industry. 2:25:45 PM SENATOR DUNBAR commented on the resistance from the architecture community and requested an update on that and the working group monitoring the bill. MS. KAKARUK responded that she and Senator Claman discussed the CS with the working group last night. She said Senator Claman considered the working group's preferred changes, relayed them to the committee, and included them in the CS before the committee today. This process will be ongoing. Senator Claman will continue to hear about changes and parlay them to the next committee of referral. 2:27:42 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN said today's committee substitute was drafted following a meeting with stakeholder organizations and distributed to those organizations and committee members last week. He solicited a motion. 2:28:00 PM SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON moved to adopt the committee substitute (CS) for SB 73, work order 33-LS0244\D, as the working document. CHAIR BJORKMAN presumably objected for purposes of discussion. He stated Mr. Jackson will present the summary of changes for the CS. 2:28:41 PM KONRAD JACKSON, Staff, Senator Jesse Bjorkman, Alaska State Legislature, Juneau, Alaska, said this CS, version D, resulted from meetings with stakeholder groups reaching for consensus. He noted the CS version /U was not adopted. He presented the summary of changes from version /S to version/D: SB 73 Summary of Changes Version S to Version D Old sections 1-4 are deleted. Remaining sections are renumbered. Section 1: AS 08.48.011(b) is amended to increase the board from 11 to 13 members. This is accomplished by removing the restriction allowing one electrical engineer or one mechanical engineer. The new language allows for one of each. An interior designer position is added to the board. (Immediate effective date) 2:30:42 PM At ease. 2:31:10 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN reconvened the meeting. 2:31:18 PM MR. JACKSON continued reviewing the summary of changes: Section 2: (Renumbered old section 5) AS 08.48.011 (b) is amended to rename the "interior designer" position on the board to a "registered interior designer". Effective with the Section 38 transition language. MR. JACKSON said Section 2 is a conforming change that once established and the qualifications are deemed appropriate, the "interior designer" on the board would be considered a "registered interior designer." Section 3. AS 08.48.011(c) is amended to allow more than one electrical engineer or more than one mechanical engineer to serve simultaneously on the board if a member of the other profession is not available to fill the position designated for that profession. [Technical audio difficulty.] 2:32:06 PM At ease. 2:33:14 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN reconvened the meeting. 2:33:23 PM MR. JACKSON supplemented the explanation of Section 3. He continued reviewing the summary of changes: Sections 4-5-6-7. Amended and renumbered old sections to conform with the addition of "registered" to the "interior designer" title. Section 8. Old section 10 is deleted and replaced with language to conform with the addition of "registered" to the "interior designer" title. Sections 9-10. Renumbered former sections 11-12. Section 11. Renumbered former section 13. Inserts "registered" to the "interior designer" title. Sections 12 & 13. Renumbered former sections 14 and 15, respectively. 2:35:13 PM SENATOR DUNBAR sought confirmation that either the word "registered" was added or the sections were renumbered for those sections up through Section 26. MR. JACKSON replied that looks to be the case, though some sections do both. The summary of changes for Sections 14 through 26 reads: Section 14. Renumbered former section 16. Inserts "registered" to the "interior designer" title. Sections 15 & 16. Renumbered former sections 17 and 18. Conforming changes to add "registered" to the "interior designer" title. Section 17. Renumbered former section 19. Section 18. Renumbered former section 20. Inserts "registered" to the "interior designer" title. Sections 19-25. Renumbered former section 21-27. Section 26. Renumbered former section 28. Inserts "registered" to the "interior designer" title. 2:35:46 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN asked Mr. Jackson to continue the summary of changes starting at Section 27. MR. JACKSON continued presenting the summary of changes from Section 27: Section 27. Renumbered former section 29. Amends AS 08.48.331 (a) by deleting the reference on page 13, line 21 in paragraph (8) to a person "other than a person providing interior design services". Amends new paragraph (15) by removing the reference to (6) (A) and (B) of this subsection. Old Section 30 is deleted. Section 28. Amends AS 08.48.331 by adding new subsection (c) requiring an interior designer be registered if practicing interior design which affects the public health, safety or welfare, as determined by the board. Section 29. Renumbered former section 31 and inserts "registered" to the "interior designer" title. Section 30. Amends AS 08.48.341 (25) by simplifying the definition of a registered interior designer and removing paragraph (B) which listed practices which were not permitted by registered interior designers. Old sections 33 and 34 are deleted. Section 31. Renumbered former section 35. Section 32. Amends former section 36. Inserts "registered" to the "interior designer" title. Sections 33-36. Amends former sections 37-40. Inserts "registered" to the "interior designer" title. Old sections 41 and 42 are deleted. 2:38:02 PM Section 37. Renumbers former section 43 and changes references former sections 1-42 to sections 2-36. Section 38. Adds new transition language requiring the interior designer appointed to the board be certified by the Council for Interior Design Qualification and must have resided in the state for at least three years immediately preceding the appointment. Additionally, allows for an interior designer to hold the board seat until a registered interior designer is appointed to the seat, subject to meeting certain requirements. Section 39. Renumbered former section 44. Sections 40 and 41. Renumbered and conforming changes to former sections 45 and 46. 2:39:22 PM SENATOR DUNBAR asked what the primary, substantive issues were that architects raised and this CS addresses. MR. JACKSON referred to a large change made to the bill, which affects AS 08.48.181 in Section 10, version S. He noted the change removes a reference to an examination administered by the Council for Interior Design Qualification. MR. JACKSON referred to another significant change to the bill, which affects AS 08.48.341 in Section 32, version S. He advised that this change removes the "does not include" language in subparagraph (B) regarding the practice of registered interior design. 2:41:24 PM SENATOR DUNBAR referred to Section 10, version S. He asked whether any direction is provided as to what kind of examination is needed to qualify as a registered interior designer if the following language is removed from the bill: "... standards must include successfully completing the examination administered by the Council for Interior Design Qualification or its successor." MR. JACKSON apologized, stating he misspoke about the deletion of that language. He corrected himself, advising this is part of the new transition language in Section 38, version /D. That language is still in place. MR. JACKSON said there is another substantive change. 2:43:31 PM At ease. 2:44:22 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN reconvened the meeting. He asked Mr. Jackson to resume outlining the agreed-upon changes between the working group of interior designers and architects. 2:44:36 PM MR. JACKSON explained that the definition of the "practice of registered interior design" work was simplified in Section 30 of version /D, and the two stakeholders agreed on the language. He expressed his belief that the simplified language and removing language prohibiting certain actions and activities provide an adequate definition. 2:45:42 PM CHAIR BJORKMAN removed his objection. Finding no further objection CSSB 73, work order 33-LS0244\D, was adopted as the working document. CHAIR BJORKMAN said the outcome of this bill is that individuals trained in interior design can register as interior designers and stamp their own work. He noted that SB 73 does not preclude individuals from practicing interior design under the supervision of an architect; they may continue to do so. This bill allows individuals who want to register as interior designers and sign off on their own work to fall under the regulation of the State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors, which will have more oversight over their practice. He solicited the will of the committee. 2:46:52 PM SENATOR GRAY-JACKSON moved to report CSSB 73, work order 33- LS0244\D, from committee with individual recommendations and attached fiscal note(s). CHAIR BJORKMAN found no objection and CSSB 73(L&C) was reported from the Senate Labor and Commerce Standing Committee.