Advocacy

Legislation

Interior Design legislation helps establish and maintain professional standards that protect the health, safety and welfare of the general public. IIDA firmly believes that legal recognition, achieved through licensing, registration, and certification brings uniformity to the profession, defines responsibility, and encourages excellence in the Interior Design industry.

Currently, Interior Designers who are trained and qualified to work in a code-impacted environment are restricted from practicing to their fullest abilities. As the only major, unlicensed participants in the construction industry, these Interior Designers lack the ability to independently stamp and submit their work for building permits as required by the building code.

  • Why license Interior Design?

    ...to provide accountability for consumers

    ...to enable Interior Designers to act as primary contractors on jobs and eliminate the need to pay architects or engineers to redraw, stamp and sign their work

    ...to encourage economic development by allowing a greater number of business to compete for commercial design work

  • How does legal recognition protect the public?

    It will safeguard the public by creating accountability. Consumers will know they're working with qualified, responsible professionals utilizing the latest information regarding health, safety, and welfare, and who have met specific, nationally accepted standards of minimum competency, including education (university and continuing education), experience and examination (NCIDQ).

  • Would regulation within the profession put non-registered designers out of business?

    No. Registration would be optional for those who wish to work on qualified projects. For those who want to continue practicing within the guidelines of the current legislation there would be no change.

  • Would legal recognition of Interior Design create unnecessary regulation?

    No. The registration of Interior Designers does not create any new regulation. It would allow qualified professionals to increase their scope of practice and work within an already heavily regulated industry.

Education

Part of being an advocate is knowing your local legislation.

Massachusetts: Senate Bill S.2805

Connecticut: Chapter 396a

Maine: Title 32

Industry Specific Concepts

 When speaking with legislators and the community-at-large, it is important as an advocate to be able to explain these industry specific concepts.

What is Interior Design?

as defined by the Council for Interior Design Qualification, Inc.

Who are Interior Designers and what do they do?

This Page Coming Soon!

What are the differences between Interior Design and Interior Decorating?

This Page Coming Soon!

Contact the Advocacy Committee

If you would like to become more involved, have questions about current legislation, or want to learn more about advocacy efforts in New England, contact Amanda Vigneau, Vice President of Advocacy, at AVigneau@shepleybulfinch.com.

Spotlight

IIDA VP of Advocacy, Amanda Vigneau on behalf of the hardworking IIDA NE Advocacy Team:

Massachusetts Updates:

On Monday, June 3rd the Senate Ways and Means Committee favorably reported S2408 out of the Committee. The bill was then sent to the Senate for consideration. 
 
On Thursday, June 6th our bill Sponsor, Senator Joan B. Lovely, presented the bill to the Senate. She spoke of all of the barriers we face in our careers and asked for the Senate's support on moving the bill forward. Following her remarks, the Senate voted and passed the bill!
 
Our Bill is currently in the House Ways and Means Committee and received yet another bill number, S2813.  In the coming weeks, the House Ways and Means Committee will look at our Bill and we will wait for them to favorably report it out of the Committee and pass it along to the House floor for a vote (the same process that just happened in the Senate). Once the House passes our bill, it will be sent to the Governor's desk to be signed into a law. 
 
Please note that the bill is NOT a law yet but has taken an exciting and new step in the legislative process.   

We are closer than ever to legal recognition of the interior design profession in Massachusetts, but we need YOU to keep this momentum going! A strong showing of support is a vital step in establishing registration for commercial interior designers in Massachusetts, similar to a majority of states' frameworks. Please email your State Representative and encourage them to reach out to the House Ways and Means Committee Chairman in support of S2813. 
 
Please use THIS LINK to email your Representative a letter asking for their support.
 
Here is a link to the formal press release from the Senate on the passage of the bill.

Rhode Island Updates:

Over the past year, a group of IIDA and ASID members have teamed forces to start a grassroots effort seeking Interior Design legislation in Rhode Island. Together we have formed the Rhode Island Consortium for Interior Design. We are working with our National partners at IIDA, ASID, and CIDQ to build momentum and gain support across the State.

Please reach out to Amanda Vigneau at AVigneau@shepleybulfinch.com if you are a Rhode Island resident and you are interested in pitching in!

  • MASSACHUSETTS

    LOCAL ADVOCACY MASSACHUSETTS LEADERSHIP

  • CONNECTICUT

    LOCAL ADVOCACY CONNECTICUT LEADERSHIP

  • MAINE

    LOCAL ADVOCACY MAINE LEADERSHIP

Contact the Advocacy Committee

If you would like to become more involved, have questions about current legislation, or want to learn more about advocacy efforts in New England, contact Krista Easterly, Vice President of Advocacy, at keasterly@sasaki.com 

The Advocacy Fund is a campaign to raise awareness and resources for Interior Design Advocacy in the New England Region. By adding a nominal charge for each event hosted by IIDA NE, we remind ourselves that advancing our profession and giving back to our IIDA NE community is the core mission of our Organization. Small individual contributions throughout our community can make a large impact and promote the value of our profession.*

*At the conclusion of each calendar year, all funds raised will be distributed throughout our Chapter to fund legislative efforts, help assist members that are seeking professional licensure and support efforts to build awareness about the profession of interior design. The initiatives that this fund will support is organized and executed by the IIDA NE Advocacy Committee.