BILL ANALYSIS
By: West, Royce
Licensing & Administrative Procedures
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE
Currently, Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (board) licensees are required to take eight hours of continuing education per year for re-licensure, yet none of the required education pertains to "green" or sustainable design. Since most of the features that make a building sustainable are incorporated in the design phase, architects can play a pivotal role in determining how green a building is.
As proposed, S.B. 541 requires all board certified architects, landscape architects, and interior designers, as certified by the board, to complete at least one hour of continuing education in sustainable or energy-efficient design standards.
RULEMAKING AUTHORITY
It is the committee's opinion that rulemaking authority is expressly granted to the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners in SECTION 1 and SECTION 3 of this bill.
ANALYSIS
SECTION 1. Amends Section 1051.356, Occupations Code, by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1), as follows:
(b) The continuing education programs:
(1) must include courses relating to sustainable or energy-efficient design standards; and
(2) may include courses relating to:
(A) health, safety, or welfare; or
(B) barrier-free design.
(b-1) Requires the board by rule to require the certificate holder to complete at least one hour of continuing education relating to sustainable or energy-efficient design standards as part of a certificate holder's continuing education requirements for each annual registration period.
SECTION 2. Applies only to an application for the renewal of a certificate of registration that is filed with the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners on or after September 1, 2008.
SECTION 3. Requires the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners to adopt rules, procedures, forms, and fees under Section 1051.356, Occupations Code, as amended by this Act, not later than January 1, 2008.
SECTION 4. Effective date: September 1, 2007.
EFFECTIVE DATE
September 1, 2007.