Feb 2011
They're back!
New York design community:
You can plan to see two bills this session in your state:
- The bill we derailed last year which would re-open the grandfathering provision has been filed. The purpose for this bill is to try to gather in more designers so that there will be fewer to oppose additional legislation in the future -- most likely some sort of practice act.
- A bill which would allow only NCIDQ-certified designers to bid on state contracts has been pre-filed. This is like the bill we defeated in Massachusetts last year.
IDPC members and sponsors will be kept up-to-date on all activities and/or movement of these two bills, and our members will receive pertinent information including bill analysis, talking points, legislator contact information, sample letters, hearing dates, and all other updates pertinent to defeating this bill.
May 2010
PHONE CALLS NEEDED TO STOP FUTURE LICENSING
While the legislators have been receiving a many letters from IDPC members and our allies requesting that they oppose additional grandfathering of interior designers who do not meet the qualifications required by law to become a certified, much more is needed if you want to stop future interior design licensing in New York.
Please take a few moments to call your Senator and ask that he or she vote against Senate Bill 5571.
Click here to find your Senator.
Click here to read a copy of the bill.
Click here to read our last newsflash with details.
Click here for tips on making your call.
Don't let this bill pave the way for full-blown occupational licensing of the design profession in the future...become involved NOW.
April 2010
WAIVER OF QUALIFICATIONS FOR CERTIFIED INTERIOR DESIGNERS
As you may recall, in 2008 IDPC and our allies successfully defeated the cartel's effort to expand the restrictions on New York's title law to "interior designer" by urging Governor Paterson to veto legislation which would have benefited only the 218 active registrants. Clearly, the Governor saw no public benefit and refused to bestow an unfair competitive advantage to this small handful of New York's designers.
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But like zombies, these bills just won't stay dead.... And now, the cartel has come up with a brand new idea to build support for a practice act - which is what they really want.
S 5571 would re-open the grandfathering clause!
Why would they do that?
1. By increasing the number of registrants who are grandfathered - but not qualified - under the law, they artificially increase their numbers which they would be free to publicize to the legislature.
2. By allowing designers that they would normally consider "unqualified" to join their little club (and then lock the doors behind them), they would be able to stifle a large amount of opposition that would arise for at least a couple of years - during which time, they will likely introduce a practice act. Simply put, the more designers they let in, the more support they will have for a practice act in the future.
Who would qualify?
For a period of 2 years, you might be eligible for grandfathering if you can provide the following three criteria, without meeting the existing requirements of 7 years education/experience and passage of the NCIDQ exam.
(1) A VERIFICATION OF EMPLOYMENT FOR THE PURPOSES OF DETERMINING WHETHER OR NOT SUCH INDIVIDUAL MEETS THE MINIMUM FIFTEEN YEARS REQUIREMENT FOR EXEMPTION UNDER THE ARTICLE;
(2) DOCUMENTS TO SUBSTANTIALLY DEMONSTRATE THAT SUCH WORK EXPERIENCE AND EMPLOYMENT PRACTICE HAS BEEN AS AN ACTUAL INTERIOR DESIGNER AS DISTINGUISHED FROM SERVICES PROVIDED BY INTERIOR DECORATORS AND OTHERS PROVIDING INTERIOR FURNISHING SERVICES; AND
(3) RECOMMENDATIONS FROM CLIENTS AND FROM PRESENT AND, IF APPLICABLE, PAST EMPLOYERS OR COLLEAGUES.
What utter hypocrisy!
1. For nearly 2 decades, the NY cartel has propagandized that their self-anointed "minimum competency" is absolutely necessary to use the title "registered interior designer." Now that they want to pad their numbers, they're willing to throw their whole "health, safety and welfare" argument out the window.
2. Allowing people who do not meet the state law's qualifications to market themselves as "registered interior designers" (and you cannot), is nothing less than consumer fraud. There is nothing in the state law that mandates they disclose that they are not NCIDQ certified or do not have the 7 years of education/experience, so it perpetrates a fraud upon the public who have been lead to believe that a "certified interior designer" must have the education, experience and examination that the law required, when in fact, the majority would not.
ACTION NEEDED!
The Education Committee has already passed this bill and it is presently in the Senate. You need to act now to stop it
Please contact your Senator and voice your opposition. The New York title act has been a complete failure since inception in 1990. There are currently only 218 certified interior designers in the entire State of New York. This law is completely unnecessary and not supported by the design community.
In this difficult economy, the state should not maintain or expand laws that make it more difficult for its citizens to earn an honest living unless the health, safety and welfare of the public is in jeopardy without the regulations. Clearly, this is not the case here.
Click here to find your Senator.
Click here to read S5571.