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Architects board asks bill sponsor to meet after wide opposition to AB 1796
Summary
Public commenters from AIA California, CCIDC and other interior‑design groups urged the California Architects Board to oppose AB 1796, saying the bill would create unnecessary new licensing barriers and has not shown a public‑safety problem. The board authorized staff and the president to send a letter seeking stakeholder discussions with the bill sponsor.
The California Architects Board heard hours of public testimony and debate Feb. 26 after staff introduced AB 1796, a bill that would create state licensure and oversight for commercial interior designers and add a licensed commercial interior designer seat to the board.
The board's public session included detailed opposition from industry groups. Scott Terrell of the American Institute of Architects California said the sponsor had not demonstrated a concrete need, and that he had not seen the collaborative stakeholder engagement the AIA has requested: “We feel that the need for this bill hasn't been demonstrated adequately,” he said. Rose Wee, executive officer of the California Council for Interior Design Certification (CCIDC), told the board that certified interior designers have stamped complex commercial plans for decades and that there is “no documented threat to public health, safety, or welfare.” Katherine Hampton, a certified commercial interior designer, added: “I have personally pulled permits in downtown Los Angeles for high‑rise tenant improvement projects. So the stamp does work.”
Board members pressed for more information and for a chance to speak with the bill sponsor before taking a formal policy position. Members raised concerns that the bill's current definition of “commercial interior design” is broad, that the proposal could bifurcate the profession and confuse consumers, and that creating a new licensing program carries potentially large administrative and examination costs that would fall on a small pool of licensees.
Rather than adopt an immediate formal position, the board voted to authorize the president and staff to compile members' concerns and send a letter to the bill author inviting collaborative engagement and asking for clarifying amendments and data. The board's vote followed a motion to collect concerns over the coming two weeks and to request a meeting with the sponsor and proponents. The motion carried by roll call.
What happens next: Staff will draft and send a letter outlining technical questions and operational concerns and will request a meeting with the sponsor and the bill's proponents for more information. The board said it may still take a formal policy position later in the legislative process as amendments emerge or new evidence is submitted.
Why it matters: AB 1796 would change who the board regulates and how the profession is organized across California. Stakeholders say the bill could raise costs and reshape project review processes; board members want clearer evidence of a public‑safety problem and clearer statutory language before committing to a position.
The board is expected to post the staff draft letter and any responses from the sponsor and stakeholders online as they become available. The matter remains under active review.
