BILL ANALYSIS

H.B. 1484

By: Pitts

Licensing & Administrative Procedures

Committee Report (Unamended)

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The Texas Board of Architectural Examiners is charged with the regulation of interior designers. Current law allows only architects and licensed or registered interior designers to use the title "interior designer," creating issues with persons who practice interior design but have either chosen not to be registered or who do not meet educational or other requirements to be eligible for registration.

H.B. 1484 prohibits a person who is not licensed or registered as an interior designer from using the title "licensed interior designer" or "registered interior designer." 

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.

ANALYSIS

H.B. 1484 amends the Occupations Code to include in the persons exempt from state laws regulating interior designers a person who does not use a business or professional title that uses the phrase "registered interior designer" or "licensed interior designer." The bill amends the provision prohibiting a person other than a licensed or registered interior designer from representing the person as having those credentials by specifying that the prohibition applies to a person who uses the title "licensed interior designer" or "registered interior designer" or uses words that imply that the person is a licensed or registered interior designer. The bill removes language that applies the prohibition to a person who uses the term "interior design" to describe a service the person offers or performs.

EFFECTIVE DATE

On passage, or, if the act does not receive the necessary vote, the act takes effect September 1, 2009.