E-news Aug-2008
IDLCPA NEWSFLASH!!!
ISSUED: Wednesday, Aug 21, 2008
<<Click here for a full color printable PDF>>
HB807 SINE DIE
It has been a very exciting legislative session! In April of2007 House Bill 807 was introduced and in September of the same year a successful hearing was held at Drexel College in Philadelphia. After the hearing, IDLCPA working in conjunction with lobbyist group Milliron & Associates, had negotiation meetings with opposing groups to work towards “agreed to” language. In March, IDLCPA held Interior Design Day forming the largest grassroots showing (of interior designers) with over 50legislators either attending the show or being visited by local constituents!
November of this year will mark the end of the 2007-2008 legislative sessions.The term "Sine Die" refers to bills that must be passed by the end of the legislative session this November of 2008. Last month the Senate decided to cancel session days this fall creating what is called a "lame duck" session. Without the Senate to vote and move bills approved by the House, no current bills will be passed and therefore will die with the end of the legislative session. House Bill 807 will likely die with the end of the session and will be re-introduced in the first quarter of the 2009-2010 legislative session with updated language and a new number.
INTERNAL OPPOSITION
As successful as this legislative session has been, the professional interior design community has recently split (locally and nationally on issues surrounding legislation. Differing views have primarily been caused by anti-licensing groups producing negative information that misrepresents the licensing effort. ASID, the strongest professional organization supporting licensing, has been targeted by the anti-licensing groups. These organizations have falsely labeled ASID as a “radical anti-trade” organization pushing regulation that will “put much of the design community out of business.”
Pennsylvania legislators were bombarded this legislative session with misinformation that has painted a very negative picture of interior design professionals being licensed. If Pennsylvania is going to correct this image and restore a positive view of the profession, designers who practice and support licensing must become actively involved and provide affirmative testimony to the vital need for licensing. In light of what is happening in the design community, IDLCPA will be launching a large grassroots campaign to clarify misinformation that is saturating the PA-based design community, press, and institutions of higher education. The IDLCPA website is getting an overhaul and will have new links and updated information about opposing groups. Please visit www.idlcpa.com in September to learn more!
NEW PROTECTION COUNCIL?
Have you heard of the Interior Design Protection Council? You may think it is an organization geared to supporting the professional practice of interior design especially when their tag line is “the next job we may save is your own.” The primary goal of this national organization is to dismember any regulatory board or interior design licensing coalition working towards regulation.Many Allied ASID members, home furnishing vendors and related trades in the design industry have been targeted being told that regulation will make them loose their jobs and/or limit their ability to perform services –ultimately “limiting trade” and creating an“elitist” group of designers.
What this group fails to publish is that all interior designers are already“limited” to services that are not regulated by the International Building Code and the International Residential Code. Any services performed by these adopted codes is illegal for those who are not “registered design professionals”.
In Pennsylvania, there isn’t an established governmental group (besides architectural boards) enforcing the code by fining designers for practicing “code-restricted” services. When designers are slapped with a 25,000 fine for specifying wallcovering in a corporate office or multi-tenant dwelling, this “Interior Design Protection Council” may have to change their tag line! Don’t take IDLCPA’s word for it,look it up for yourself in the code books! The only way to protect the profession is to define interior designers as “registered design professionals” through regulation. If what designers do is regulated by the code it is an obvious consumer protection issue.Maybe IDLCPA’s new tag line should be “The next life we may save is yours!”
CONGRATULATIONS ALABAMA!!
Alabama recently had their Practice Act reinstated and their regulatory board has been reestablished! After being declared unconstitutional it looks as though the oldest established Practice Act was constitutional after all! Terminology within the new bill language addressed issues of opposing groups for a positive outcome! IDLCPA will be looking at the Alabama language as we move forward with our new bill language in 2009. We want the Pennsylvania Interior Design Practice Act to positively impact the interior design profession by proactively incorporating the best terminology that considers and addresses opposition issues while supporting regulation.
2009 MEMBERSHIP
Currently we have over 800 IDLCPA members and we are hoping to continue to increase this number. We would like to have at least 1200supporting members by the end of 2009. IDLCPA membership is comprised of designers, industry representatives, affiliates, students, parents, and friends.Membership is open to all PA residents!!!! IDLCPA membership for 2008 is ending in December and membership renewals are requested. If you are not a member please become one, now is the time! To request or renew a membership contact us via e-mail or go to our website and download the pdf. form at www.idlcpa.org.
IDLCPA is currently looking for dedicated persons to join our board and fillcommittee positions for 2009-2010. If you are interested please contact Sheri Spoharski, IDLCPA Member At Large West.
$5,000 PAC MONEY NEEDED
We need designers to contribute personal monies to the Political Action Committee account (PAC). The lobbyist recommends $25-30,000 per year and this year is a voting year (2008), which means lots of events to support and attend! We have asked many of you to partner with us and give money to this fund. Special thanks to all who have participated in and supported or contributed to our PAC Parties. We could not do this without your continued support and we are VERY grateful! If you can help us finish strong this year please write a personal check made out to the Interior Designers PAC and send it to IDLCPA or e-mail a request to pay through PayPal and we’ll send you a link
PLEASE BE INVOLVED
We need all designers to continue to get involved by contacting Noelle Weaver at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. This November after the elections new legislators will be elected to sit on the Professional Licensure Committees in both the House and the Senate. Please take time to visit www.legis.state.pa.us and find your representatives in both the House and the Senate. If any of your legislators sit on the Professional Licensure Committee, PLEASE contact Mary Ann Mozelewski at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
