Pennsylvania has become the latest battleground State in the campaign by the Interior Design Cartel to restrict the practice of Interior Design throughout the United States.

House Bill 807 ("Interior Design Licensure Act") was introduced by Representative Marc Gergely to the House Committee on Professional Licensure on April 19^th, 2007.  It is being promoted in Pennsylvania by a group called the Interior Design Legislative Coalition of Pennsylvania, IDLCPA (www.idlcpa.org)  A highly restrictive title and practice act, HB807 will subject all interior designers to unnecessary governmental regulation and will prevent a significant portion of interior design professionals from freely working in their field. Designers who do not meet stringent license requirements will be barred from providing broadly-defined "interior design services".

Historically, the Interior Design Profession has accommodated a wide diversity of practitioners with different backgrounds, credentials, and qualifications. Pennsylvania House Bill 807 would change all of that overnight, transforming the Pennsylvania interior design community into a rigid, one-size-fits-all environment that would benefit neither the profession nor the public.

Designers without licenses will be unable to:

•   freely provide "designs, consultations, studies, drawings, specifications, interior construction, space planning, and furnishings";
  
• enter or execute "contracts for interior design and contracts relating to nonstructural, non-seismatical interior elements of a building structure";
  
•  engage in "research and analysis of the client's goals and requirements; development of documents, drawings and diagrams which outline those needs; formulation of preliminary space layouts; and two-dimensional and three-dimensional design concept studies and sketches

While many working Pennsylvania interior designers would be devastated by the proposed legislation, they are certainly not the only ones would be hurt. Consider the many ways in which Pennsylvania House Bill 807 will impact the Pennsylvania interior design community and the public:

Interior designers who do not meet the strict requirements of a four-year degree in interior design plus NCIDQ certification will no longer be able to practice interior design in Pennsylvania.

Young designers beginning in the profession who do not meet NCIDQ requirements will be forced to go back to school and work as low paid interns under NCIDQ designers.

Design Students who do have a 4 year interior design degree will suffer from a massive reduction in the pool of potential employers and may never be able to take the NCIDQ if they can't find a NCIDQ certified internship.

Suppliers will face a diminished roster of clients for their products and services and could be forced out of business.

Interior Design Showrooms at the Market Place Design Center in Philadelphia  www.marketplacedc.com and the Ohio Design Center in Cleveland www.ohiodesigncentre.com (that serves Pittsburgh designers) will face a decrease in business causing them to either go out of business or cut back on the number of lines they represent, shifting business to New York City or Chicago.

Interior Design partnerships and corporations could be forced to add licensed interior designer partners and staff to their firms.

Out of state designers will be subject to the new Pennsylvania statutes, and will be barred from practicing in the state if they are not licensed.  This could raise serious interstate commerce issues considering the close proximity of the Philadelphia market to New Jersey, New York City, Delaware and Maryland.

Kitchen Design Showrooms, Furniture Stores, Design-Build Contractors and General Contractors could be forced to add licensed interior designer partners and staff to their firms if they wish to market interior design services.

Interior Designers who do manage to get licensed will be subject to strict oversight by a state regulatory board; they must meet "character" and continuing education requirements, or their license could be revoked.

Given that research has demonstrated there is no public health or safety benefit to such regulation, it's clear the purpose of HB807 is to constrict the interior design market in favor of the small group of designers who are trying to monopolize the interior design business in Pennsylvania.

TAKE ACTION TO OPPOSE HB807

1.  Attend the public hearing of the Committee on Professional Licensure and testify against this legislation or attend to show your support:

September 11^th, 2007; 1:00 pm
Drexel University
2019 MacAlister Hall
33^rd & Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, PA 19104

http://www.drexel.edu/em/directions/map_uc.pdf

2. Write, phone, e-mail or meet in person with the members of the House Committee on Professional Licensure and voice your opposition to HB807:

3. Write, phone, e-mail or meet in person with the sponsors of HB807 and ask them to WITHDRAW their sponsorship: (try to create a double row)