The Senate Labor Committee was very busy in the day before the committee cutoff (when bills have to be passed out of committee to stay alive). It held a hearing on to bills that the AIA Washington Council is supporting. SB 5746 makes modifications to the landscape architecture licensing law. SB 5984 would restrict the practice of structural engineering to only those engineers who are specifically licensed as structural engineers. Neither bill would have an impact on the practice of architecture, but both would improve public protection by increasing the level of professionalism in the affected professions.
The committee also held executive session to move bills out of committee. It passed Substitute Senate Bill 5788 to require licensing of home inspectors. For the most part, the AIA/WA supports this bill. However, we are continuing to work to have an exemption for licensed architects and engineers added to the bill. The AIA/WA is also concerned that the substitute moves the licensing program from the Department of Licensing (DOL) to the Department of Labor & Industries (L&I). The AIA/WA believes that is more appropriate for DOL to oversee professional regulation programs such as proposed in SSB 5788.
SB 5990 also passed by the committee today to increase regulation of construction cranes. This bill is in response to a high profile crane collapse late in
