Professional Practice
State Licensure Board
How to file licensure complaints
The Pennsylvania Department of State Professional Compliance Office receives and reviews complaints concerning licensees and registrants of the Architects Licensure Board and those who are not licensed and may be practicing illegally. Complaints may be filed directly with the Department. The forms and guidelines are available online at the following web site: http://www.dos.state.pa.us/bpoa....
As a service to its members, AIA Pennsylvania may submit complaints to the Licensure Board on their behalf concerning the unauthorized practice of architecture. This allows our members some anonymity in the complaint process. Following are the steps for requesting AIA Pennsylvania to consider submitting a complaint on your behalf:
- 1 Obtain a complaint form (see link above). If you wish anonymity, the completed complaint form does not have to have your name or address (A. Complainant Information).
- 2 Submit the completed complaint form (except for the name of the complainant) to AIA Pennsylvania. It must be accompanied by sufficient supporting information so that the complaint form can be properly reviewed.
- 3 AIA Pennsylvania’s Licensure Committee and legal counsel will review the proposed complaint to determine (i) if there is a basis for submitting the complaint and (ii) if the complaint form is properly completed. AIA Pennsylvania may request additional information from the member submitting the complaint.
- 4 If the complaint appears valid, the form complete and the issue appropriate, AIA Pennsylvania will submit the complaint to the Pennsylvania Department of State with AIA Pennsylvania listed as the Complainant.
- 5 AIA Pennsylvania cannot guarantee anonymity throughout the process. During the investigation by BPOA, it may be necessary for them to contact you.
Manditory Continuing Education
Interior Designers Title & Practice Legislation
AIA Pennsylvania asks House and Senate members to oppose this legislation.
- This bill compromises public health, safety and welfare. Interior designers do not have the education, training or testing to evaluate the impact of design decisions on the full range of design and safety issues that architects do.
- There is no demonstrated consumer harm addressed by titling or registering interior designers.
- In today’s design/construction industry, there is a complex web of disciplines that must be coordinated by someone trained in all facets of design, as only an architect is.
- Building interiors and exteriors are inseparable. Architects are already registered by the Commonwealth to design building interiors and exteriors.
- Titling/registering interior designers does not provide a benefit commensurate with the cost of adding another regulatory process.
Additional Resources
- AIA Pennsylvania Issue Brief
- AIA Pennsylvania Testimony on June 24, 2010
- April 1, 2008: the Wall Street Journal's OpEd outlines the case against licensing of interior designers.
- On October 12, 2007, the Alabama Supreme Court ruled that the Alabama Interior Design Consumer Protection Act was unconstitutional. Read the Alabama Supreme Court's ruling
- Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) of Indiana vetoed Senate Bill 490 (Interior Design Title and Practive Legislation), and surprised many by issuing an unusually long veto message
Sales & Gross Receipts Tax
A group of organizations has formed a coalition, PennCOST, to oppose expansion of the state sales tax as a means of addressing school real property tax reform. PennCOST sent a letter to legislators opposing this type of legislation.
