Representative Altman told the House Rules Committee House Bill 49‑14 would "remove the requirement that two thirds of a firm's principals be licensed to practice architecture, engineering, or surveying." Altman said the change comes from a LARA red‑tape report and would not affect public‑safety standards because every project would still need to be signed, stamped and sealed by a licensed professional.

Altman said Michigan is an outlier in the Great Lakes region and noted other states either have lower ownership thresholds or no requirement at all. "In those states where they have a more flexible model, there’s no safety concerns by any means," he said, and argued the ownership ratio appears to function primarily as an anti‑competitive barrier.

Committee members asked whether removing the requirement would lead to administrative pressure on licensed professionals to sign off on unsafe work. Altman responded that licensed professionals still carry responsibility for signed work and that the evidence from other states with more flexible rules does not show public‑safety failures. The sponsor said he had not yet received trade‑association testimony and that stakeholders would be invited to testify at a future hearing.

No final committee vote was recorded in the transcript excerpt; the chair said additional testimony will be scheduled when the bill is brought up again.