Architects and landscape-architect boards ask committee to approve biennial budget; say fees remain largely unchanged

Chair Manchester called the second block of invited testimony at the Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee's informal hearing on Sub House Bill 96.

Shannon Himes, executive director for the Ohio Architects Board and the Ohio Landscape Architects Board, told the committee the boards operate under one shared budget and are funded entirely by license and registration fees. "We are self supported through revenue generated from our license applications and renewal fees, and our revenues are anticipated to continue to support these expenditures," Himes said. She asked the committee to support a requested appropriation of $674,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $690,000 for fiscal year 2027, which Himes described as the projected minimal funding to meet obligations.

Himes said the architects board licenses nearly 10,000 architects and landscape architects and firms and that reciprocal licensure now averages one day for approvals — a speed she credited to partnerships with the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards and the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards. She said fees have largely been unchanged for 20 years and noted the General Assembly recently eliminated an initial $50 licensing fee for new architects, effective April 9.

The testimony outlined staff levels (a small administrative team, one investigator) and board composition (architects and public members appointed by the governor) and emphasized responsibilities including license renewal, investigations, enforcement and public education. Himes said the requested appropriation represents a 1% and a 3% increase over estimated operating costs for the prior biennium and would allow the boards to "issue and renew licenses properly, efficiently, accurately [and] conduct thorough and timely investigations."

Committee members did not follow with questions to Himes.