[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6694347,"mediaKeyId","5547644-ddb9e1fb60df28dbfee5c8546fefabdd","parentId",5547644,"title","Tennessee board adopts broad rule update, adds interior-design definitions and other clarifications","audioSeconds",1751,"startMs",5145000,"endMs",6896000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5547644-ddb9e1fb60df28dbfee5c8546fefabdd&start=5145&end=6896","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5547644-ddb9e1fb60df28dbfee5c8546fefabdd/thumbnail_5145000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6694347/Tennessee/Tennessee-board-adopts-broad-rule-update-adds-interior-design-definitions-and-other-clarifications","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6694347-af6eb8159521b6c60becb7bc6f25a3a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770894503&Signature=mD2M3e-~DCKRKHMq~BwzvQs2Z5NxTjJtZHZktSVPMoe5m1pyJN8DVn2af2FStUpHNaTeOYDEglQLL6ts6tM-rSUPNHVQdZbP5MHnrn0Akx7Aih~Yxz8pEIJQ3JcjyFxYOHgto8utToCXRdTjJyM6hsInFfS5t~e-8NGJnm2LDAplc7MaBwM6ijTNueQPbInt30cBt4SRMHsFaQfOC2OlTasCCLACsOOX9xgYW5vOsrikqViOQ-Y9MK6rVfWIsWhJSNQ5vb8YkLtClc-paH1kEVe~rYD2lqDKWV13rybXPjUxownAK-WJQnj9yJI3TJO-8KIOBog04VCng1P3XtkPnw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Commerce & Insurance","date","2025-08-07T19:59:27Z","article","The Tennessee Board of Architecture and Engineering Examiners on Aug. 7 held a public rulemaking hearing and adopted a broad package of rule amendments intended to clarify licensing pathways, continuing education, renewals and definitions for the professions regulated by the board.

The board, sitting in Nashville and meeting electronically, heard staff read the proposed amendments into the record, received limited questions from board members and approved the rules by roll-call vote.

Why it matters: The package updates regulatory language across multiple chapters and is the product of an extended review process. It affects the board's interpretation of education paths to licensure, continuing education carryover rules, renewal calculations and how the board defines the practice areas it regulates, including an explicit definition of \"practice of interior design.\" Those clarifications will guide licensees, applicants, education programs and third parties about what activities require a license.

What the rules change (high-level): Staff summarized many edits during the hearing. Key points the board recorded included:
- Education pathways: the rules were amended to allow additional pathways to licensure, including recognition of certain postgraduate degrees with engineering curricula as qualifying for engineering licensure pathways.
- Renewals and late fees: language that calculated late fees on a fractional-month basis was removed so late fees are determined monthly; language limiting retirement to age 62 was removed.
- Continuing education: professional development hours (PDHs) may not be carried into future calendar years for all registration types; evidence-of-preplanning requirements for certain credits were removed.
- Definitions and scope: the board added a definition of the \"practice of interior design\" and included interior designers in several rule sections, but staff removed an inadvertent requirement that would have forced interior designers to hold a separate firm certificate of authorization.
- Disciplinary and civil penalties: the rules revised penalty language to specify that civil penalties will range from $500 to $1,000 in the sections affected.

Hearing and comment: Laura Martin, chief counsel for the Department of Commerce and Insurance, opened the hearing, described the statutory hearing process under TCA 4-5-204 and read the proposed rule text and summaries into the record. Staff said they received written questions and made a limited set of clarifying edits before final adoption (notably the removal of the firm-permit requirement for interior designers that had been unintentionally created when interior designers were included throughout the rules).

Board discussion centered on duplication of interior-design language (some sections repeat language already present in a standalone interior-design chapter) and on ensuring the authority citations matched the currently applicable statutes. Board members asked for and received staff confirmation that references to the now-sunsetted professional privilege tax had been removed where appropriate.

Votes and additional statements: The board adopted the rule package by roll-call vote; the transcript records a unanimous affirmative roll call on the primary adoption motion. The board also adopted related regulatory statements required by government committees (regulatory flexibility addendum and an impact-on-local-government statement) and submitted the required responses for the Joint Government Operations Committee.

Next steps: Staff will route the adopted rules through the department and the attorney general's office for the required legality review. Once approved by the attorney general, the rules will be filed with the Tennessee secretary of state and (per statutory timing) will become effective 90 days after filing unless otherwise stayed.

Quote: \"The purpose of these definitions is to offer more clarity to licensees and nonlicensees about what the board considers to be the practice of the professions of the board,\" Laura Martin said while reading the hearing notice and rule summaries into the record.

Ending: The hearing concluded with no written public comments filed during the meeting and staff noting they would submit the adopted rule package for the attorney general's review and secretary-of-state filing.
","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Architect and Engineer Board Meeting 8/7/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The Tennessee Board of Architecture and Engineering Examiners on Aug. 7 adopted a comprehensive set of rule amendments that clarify licensure pathways, continuing education and definitions including a new definition for the practice of interior design.","taxTitle","Commerce & Insurance, Deparments in Office of the Governor, Organizations, Executive, Tennessee","taxId",17379,"location","Tennessee","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6694353,"Tennessee licensing board denies one applicant, allows another to continue after Fresh Start reviews",2022,34000,2056000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5547644-ddb9e1fb60df28dbfee5c8546fefabdd&start=34&end=2056","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5547644-ddb9e1fb60df28dbfee5c8546fefabdd/thumbnail_34000.jpg","/articles/6694353/Tennessee/Tennessee-licensing-board-denies-one-applicant-allows-another-to-continue-after-Fresh-Start-reviews","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6694353-1bf2cd9c626eea2418ed66db92e28487/orig.mp4?Expires=1770894503&Signature=ZO5VFSM2OM8QaG5oUoif9XNIIXVWPsxCApliPVlnNFTk8cKufF68e6AsSUzQPfKdyD9gr1btNIVhqHNBfkZUb0QiINF15XhrfMb3todqkJmhLruzvoIp7Xf5S8U9evAlOfoUxvukjWJK1~FOZVn7ccW0j7GY5fapwNgYyj~wyS9QSDZffMkTAKpnaNmUJ2PxHmBg6ltLpa6hwLRm1QaiDHQILMzBPQwnxo9jOoomP2MMGeaJwH84muOJLrjxoKNPfdQFJobHOFfZrAGW0eL0hiYTi1Z9TnjxUfjKBSorP8etq1xv9zDMJXzdcn8mrlxJQnlQYvkYQLG87jjbofC4dQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tennessee Board of Architecture and Engineering Examiners on Aug. 7 voted to deny an applicant with recent felony convictions while allowing another applicant with an older manslaughter conviction to continue the licensure process.

The decisions were reached during the board's \"fresh start\" reviews, the statutory process the board uses to consider applicants with prior criminal convictions. Staff and board members reviewed medical and rehabilitation information and discussed how each conviction related to the licensee's ability to protect public health, safety and welfare under Tennessee law.

Why it matters: State licensing boards must weigh convictions against an applicant's present ability to practice safely. The board tied its review to Tennessee Code Annotated and the prior-conviction factors in TCA 62-76-104, which require an individualized analysis of the crime's relationship to the regulated profession.

Allowed to proceed: The board reviewed an application from an engineer who reported a manslaughter conviction in Louisiana. Staff said the applicant served the sentence, obtained a degree, passed the FE and PE and holds an active license in another state. After discussion the board took a motion to allow that applicant to continue in the Tennessee licensing process; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote.

Denied now; reapply in two years: In a separate case the board reviewed a renewal/reapplication from an applicant with two recent felony convictions. Board members noted that a clinical psychologist's evaluation raised unresolved concerns about cognitive and physical factors and that the applicant currently is incarcerated with a projected release/parole date listed as April 2026. Board discussion focused on the five statutory factors in TCA 62-76-104 (relationship of the crime to the occupation; effect on ability, capacity and fitness; evidence of rehabilitation; federal constraints; and other relevant considerations). Chief counsel Laura Martin read the statutory factors into the record and urged the board to tie any decision to an applicant's present fitness to practice rather than to the mere existence of a conviction.

After debate the board voted to deny licensure at this time and to set the earliest date for reconsideration at two years post-conviction (June 2027 was cited as the two-year marker). The board conditioned future reconsideration on submission of supporting documentation from a licensed therapist showing evidence of mental and physical recovery and a low risk of recidivism.

Other application review: The board also reviewed an application from a candidate with recent disciplinary action in Louisiana (a March 2025 consent order that included a $500 fine and requirements such as rules/ethics training). Staff confirmed the applicant's Louisiana license and the firm's certificate of authority are currently active. The board voted to allow that application to proceed in Tennessee.

Votes at a glance
- Motion to allow the applicant with an older manslaughter conviction to continue in Tennessee’s application process — motion made, seconded, approved by voice vote.
- Motion to deny the renewal/reapplication of an applicant with two recent felonies; board set earliest reconsideration at two years post-conviction and required therapist documentation demonstrating recovery — motion by Alton Heathcote, second by Eddie Jett; roll-call recording of the final motion showed a unanimous affirmative outcome recorded on the transcript.
- Motion to allow the applicant with prior disciplinary action in Louisiana to proceed with the Tennessee application — motion made, seconded, approved by voice vote.

What the board said: Laura Martin, chief counsel for the Department of Commerce and Insurance, told the board that \"the law wants you to consider the conviction and how it relates to the individual's ability to practice,\" and read the five statutory factors into the record for the board's deliberation.

Next steps: Staff will notify the affected applicants in writing of the board's decisions and the conditions for future reconsideration. The board recorded specific reapplication guidance (two years post-conviction plus therapist clearance) for the denied applicant.

The board's actions show the Fresh Start review in practice: convictions prompt a fact-specific balancing of risk, rehabilitation evidence and current fitness to practice rather than an automatic bar or pass.

Ending: The board moved on to other agenda items after the votes, including application-review items and a later rulemaking hearing on changes to the board rules.
","The Tennessee Board of Architecture and Engineering Examiners on Aug. 7 voted to deny an applicant with recent felony convictions while allowing another applicant with an older manslaughter conviction to continue the licensure process.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6694341,"Board fines unlicensed practitioner $6,500, issues $3,500 penalty and exam requirement for expired license; engineer case closed with warning",834,7722000,8556000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5547644-ddb9e1fb60df28dbfee5c8546fefabdd&start=7722&end=8556","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5547644-ddb9e1fb60df28dbfee5c8546fefabdd/thumbnail_7722000.jpg","/articles/6694341/Tennessee/Board-fines-unlicensed-practitioner-6500-issues-3500-penalty-and-exam-requirement-for-expired-license-engineer-case-closed-with-warning","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6694341-bc2a0a2957481a7a7c3d9076db72dfe2/orig.mp4?Expires=1770894503&Signature=RM2A4BkL3Jm-FkhZmnTc7R7sd-ziqZw-u~Xn71rSFjHdv6LIT5NKVK8n6J1qxnv74I5rMwUBu19ZJL7RU3VzUL8dZPGMwRXX8Wdnd-pxWtGtl3oD0bM51kQ8U1VDEI1lYZ3lPBvPWmAIhETPn2qxz0iUrocFyDQ4jN1StOfiPpvlsc50n~~EXKjUXHj9oGW8seYW3-Z1qbh5m4ceY1dzsePj7koxNoYBhHpEqvqsNYIXbp0-rSk-s53e8Xcvo9NUq2bxLVG0GBeexo-BZfuc1OLtHAwYZsbIg3ETI1ooUQNMe1Fu381UWxGzu9T9C1Yis8nKjNAEbTPmu45XYuh~tA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Tennessee Board of Architecture and Engineering Examiners on Aug. 7 approved three enforcement actions during its legal report: a civil-penalty recommendation against an unlicensed practitioner, a letter-of-warning in an engineer's out-of-state discipline matter and a financial penalty plus an exam requirement for an architect who worked while his Tennessee certificate was expired.

Case 1: Unlicensed architecture work; recommended civil penalties of $6,500
The board reviewed a complaint alleging unlicensed architecture practice after a drafter/\"architectural designer\" provided drawings that subdivided an existing building and listed 13 sheets in the drawing index. After a board-member review, staff concluded the work included architectural services (subdivision of an existing building with firewalls) and that the scope likely required a licensed architect's seal because the building's gross area remained over the threshold for exemption. The board accepted staff's recommendation to assess civil penalties at $500 per drawing, for a total recommended penalty of $6,500. The board voted to accept the recommendation.

Case 2: Engineer with out-of-state discipline; closed with letter of warning
The board considered a professional engineer who had been disciplined in Wyoming (May 2025) and had prior discipline in Missouri and Kentucky. The respondent had self-reported the Wyoming action but had not reported earlier disciplinary action to Tennessee within the 60-day reporting window. Legal staff concluded the Wyoming/Missouri/Ohio actions did not meet the rule's reporting threshold requiring immediate disciplinary filing, and recommended closing the matter with a letter of warning reminding the registrant of reporting obligations. The board approved the recommendation.

Case 3: Architect worked with expired certificate; $3,500 penalty plus laws and rules exam
A Tennessee-licensed architect acknowledged working on seven projects after allowing the Tennessee certificate to expire. Staff reviewed the construction documents (via a Tennessee-licensed colleague) and found them to comply with Tennessee requirements. The architect reported the projects were located at business sites under 5,000 square feet in gross area; staff noted that, while TCA 62-2-102 provides exemptions based on size, an awarding authority may still require a licensed architect. The board assessed settled penalties totaling $3,500 and required the architect to take and pass the board's laws-and-rules exam.

Board comments: The board discussed the frequency of renewals-related enforcement and the communication challenges that can lead to accidental lapses. Members urged licensees to maintain current licensure in every jurisdiction where they practice and noted that renewal questionnaires and fingerprints of remediation are tools the board uses to detect noncompliance.

Next steps: Staff will implement penalty assessments and send required notices to the respondents. The board recorded its votes on each enforcement recommendation in the meeting record.

Ending: The legal report concluded with the board directing staff to proceed with notifications and any administrative processing required to complete enforcement actions.
","Three enforcement items on Aug. 7: the board proposed civil penalties for unlicensed architectural practice in one case, closed an engineer's out-of-state discipline matter with a letter of warning, and assessed penalties and a rules exam for an architect who practiced with an expired certificate.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Tennessee board adopts broad rule update, adds interior-design definitions and other clarifications

Tennessee licensing board denies one applicant, allows another to continue after Fresh Start reviews

Board fines unlicensed practitioner $6,500, issues $3,500 penalty and exam requirement for expired license; engineer case closed with warning