ASID Announces Bill Passed to Advance Interior Design Profession

May 26, 2021  by Laurie Northington in Business Strategy, Designer Weekly, Industry   

The bill stems from efforts by members of the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), Oklahoma Interior Design Coalition (OIDC) and the Society. HB1147 improves practices for qualified interior designers by modifying several terms within the State Architectural and Registered Interior Designers Act related to agency name references, definitions and duties of the Board. 
 
“As leaders in the profession, we strive to pass commonsense legislation for the benefit of both interior designers and consumers,” stated Bryan J. Soukup, Esq., ASID Vice President, Government & Public Affairs. “By advocating for reasonable regulation and business rights, such as the stamp and seal for interior design technical submissions, the design field is better able to serve our communities.”

Regulation of the interior design profession began in the 1970s with aims of supporting professionals’ rights to practice, allowing designers to practice to the fullest extent of their abilities, and establishing and maintaining standards that protect the health, safety and welfare of the general public in interior spaces. In 2006, former governor Brad Henry signed the State Architectural and Interior Designers Act, which registered professional interior designers in Oklahoma. 

Through the sponsorship of State Rep. Mike Osburn (R) and Senator Adam Pugh (R), this latest legislation reaffirms practice rights for interior designers and pushes the industry forward through new amendments, including:

• The title Registered Interior Designer (RID) will be changed to Registered Commercial Interior Designer (RCID) to more accurately describe the profession
• Added Stamp and Seal Provisions for RCIDs
• The Board of Architects, Landscape Architects and Registered Commercial Interior Designers takes one Architectural board seat and replaces it with an Interior Design board seat. This equates to two total interior design representatives on the Board
• Definition added for Interior Design that matches the structure of the current law defining Architecture and Landscape Architecture

View the bill here.