BILL ANALYSIS

Senate Research Center	H.B. 2286
89R6373 GP-F	By: Craddick (Zaffirini)
	Business & Commerce
	5/6/2025
	Engrossed

AUTHOR'S / SPONSOR'S STATEMENT OF INTENT

S.B. 429 (1991) allowed interior designers with six or more years of experience to be grandfathered into registration without the need to take the national interior design exam, which was required for those with fewer than six years of experience.

Under current law, this grandfather clause is set to expire on January 1, 2027. The clause has been extended multiple times, including in 2017, but the expiration now threatens the ability of these experienced interior designers�many of whom are sole practitioners or small business owners�to continue their practice. H.B. 2286 would provide a ten-year extension for these registered interior designers to maintain their registration without the need to pass the national exam, which was not initially required for their registration. The bill would not introduce new licensing requirements or change the voluntary nature of registration, but it would ensure experienced designers who have been lawfully registered for decades can continue their careers without the added burden of meeting new testing requirements late in their careers. This extension would allow these professionals to sustain their businesses and continue contributing to the Texas design industry. 

H.B. 2286 amends current law relating to the renewal of a certificate of registration by certain interior designers.

RULEMAKING AUTHORITY

This bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, institution, or agency.

SECTION BY SECTION ANALYSIS

SECTION 1. Amends Section 1051.351(c-1), Occupations Code, as follows:

(c-1) Prohibits a person who holds a certificate of registration issued under Chapter 1053 (Interior Designers) without examination, notwithstanding Subsection (a) (relating to prohibiting certain persons from renewing an unexpired certificate by paying the required renewal fee to the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners (TBAE) before the expiration date of the certificate), from renewing the certificate on or after September 1, 2037, rather than September 1, 2027, unless, before September 1, 2037, rather than September 1, 2027, the person has passed the registration examination adopted by TBAE under Section 1053.154 (Examination Required) and in effect on January 1, 2014.� Provides that this subsection expires January 1, 2039, rather than January 1, 2029.

SECTION 2. Effective date: September 1, 2025.