Legislators in Wisconsin passed a bill, quickly signed into law by the governor, that codifies holistic interior design legislation and significantly expands the scope of interior design in the state.
“The new legislation reinforces the critical role of Wisconsin interior designers who protect occupant health safety in their work through robust practice rights and a strong scope of practice,” according to a news release by interior design professional groups. The bill removes several barriers for designer registration and establishes the Department of Safety and Professional Services (DSPS) as the bureau in charge of the industry’s certifications. The legislation also allows designers in Wisconsin to stamp and seal construction documents.
“I cannot emphasize enough the importance of passing this bill—one we’ve been striving to achieve for years,” said IIDA executive vice president and CEO, Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA. “It is a marker of significant and important progress for the profession, IIDA, the industry, and design at-large.”
This legislative achievement comes after a similar law was approved recently in North Carolina.
Related Stories
| May 29, 2012
Reconstruction Awards Entry Information
Download a PDF of the Entry Information at the bottom of this page.
| May 25, 2012
Alaska’s okay of gravel aggregate with naturally occurring asbestos opens up development
Some long-delayed projects in the Upper Kobuk region of Alaska may now move forward thanks to legislation that allows construction in areas that have naturally occurring asbestos.
| May 24, 2012
2012 Reconstruction Awards Entry Form
Download a PDF of the Entry Form at the bottom of this page.
| Apr 26, 2012
Contractors fear that GSA scandal will lead to fewer federal construction contracts
In the wake of the recent scandal at the General Services Administration in which workers spent lavishly at a Las Vegas conference, a spokesman for Associated General Contractors of America said contractors are worried the scandal will result in cuts to GSA's construction and renovation budgets.
| Apr 19, 2012
Michigan legislature tackling controversial rules on electricians
A fight is brewing in the Michigan legislature over how many fully qualified electricians must be present during electrical work when apprentices also are on hand.
| Apr 13, 2012
Congress’s action doesn’t mean Pentagon can’t build LEED gold structures
Though Congress passed a defense budget preventing the Department of Defense from spending money to achieve LEED gold or platinum certification, the Pentagon may still end up constructing buildings to those standards.
| Mar 1, 2012
California bill aims to cut costs for commercial building energy retrofits
A bill in the California Assembly would allow the state to pool together property owners’ energy-retrofit loans.
| Feb 23, 2012
Federal budget cuts put major building projects on hold
A plan to build the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility in Kansas is among several major building projects in jeopardy after the Obama administration’s 2013 budget was unveiled. The budget would cut all construction spending for the facility.
| Feb 23, 2012
Federal agencies fixed on leasing LEED-certified space
The federal government is especially focused on renting LEED-certified spaces.
| Feb 23, 2012
Regulators investigating construction accident at World Trade Center
The New York Port Authority and the city’s fire and building departments are investigating an accident at the World Trade Center construction site in lower Manhattan after a crane dropped steel beams that fell about 40 stories onto the truck that delivered them.