Senate Bill sb2652

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.
    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 2652

    By Senator Margolis





    35-1447A-06

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the practice of interior

  3         design; amending s. 481.203, F.S.; redefining

  4         the term "space planning" and defining the term

  5         "interior design contract administration

  6         services"; amending s. 481.223, F.S.;

  7         authorizing retired interior designers to use

  8         the title "interior designer, retired";

  9         prohibiting a person from performing certain

10         acts without employing a registered interior

11         designer; amending s. 481.2251, F.S.; providing

12         additional grounds for discipline against

13         registered interior designers; amending s.

14         481.229, F.S.; providing for contract

15         management and the use of licensed individuals

16         by registered interior designers providing

17         contract management; providing an effective

18         date.

19  

20  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

21  

22         Section 1.  Subsection (12) of section 481.203, Florida

23  Statutes, is amended, and subsection (16) is added to that

24  section, to read:

25         481.203  Definitions.--As used in this part:

26         (12)  "Space planning" means the analysis, programming,

27  or design of spatial requirements, including preliminary space

28  layouts of interior partitions, furniture systems, and final

29  planning.

30         (16)  "Interior design contract administration

31  services" means:

                                  1

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 2652
    35-1447A-06




 1         (a)  Visiting an interior design project site as needed

 2  to determine whether work is proceeding in accordance with the

 3  technical specifications submitted to the building official

 4  and approved under the terms of the building permit;

 5         (b)  Processing shop drawings, product samples, and

 6  other submittals in connection with the work performed in

 7  accordance with the interior design contract; and

 8         (c)  Notifying the project owner and the appropriate

 9  building official of interior design changes that affect

10  building code compliance or code violations; constitute

11  substantial changes from the technical submittals approved by

12  the building official; or constitute deviation that creates a

13  hazard to the public.

14         Section 2.  Subsection (1) of section 481.223, Florida

15  Statutes, is amended to read:

16         481.223  Prohibitions; penalties; injunctive relief.--

17         (1)  A person may not knowingly:

18         (a)  Practice architecture unless the person is an

19  architect or a registered architect;

20         (b)  Practice interior design unless the person is a

21  registered interior designer unless otherwise exempted herein.

22  However, a licensed interior designer who relinquishes or does

23  not renew his or her license may use the title "interior

24  designer, retired" but may not render any interior design

25  services;

26         (c)  Use the name or title "architect" or "registered

27  architect," or "interior designer" or "registered interior

28  designer," or words to that effect, when the person is not

29  then the holder of a valid license issued pursuant to this

30  part;

31         (d)  Present as his or her own the license of another;

                                  2

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 2652
    35-1447A-06




 1         (e)  Give false or forged evidence to the board or a

 2  member thereof;

 3         (f)  Use or attempt to use an architect or interior

 4  designer license that has been suspended, revoked, or placed

 5  on inactive or delinquent status;

 6         (g)  Employ unlicensed persons to practice architecture

 7  or interior design; or

 8         (h)  Conceal information relative to violations of this

 9  part:.

10         (i)  Apply for a building permit, provide interior

11  design services, or allow the provision of interior design

12  services for any parts of a structure requiring a registered

13  interior designer unless such person has employed or assured

14  the employment of a registered interior designer to provide

15  interior design contract administration services; or

16         (j)  Use an unlicensed individual to provide

17  engineering or architectural services, plumbing or electrical

18  work, landscape services, or other work requiring a licensed

19  professional if the work is performed for an interior design

20  construction contract administered by a registered interior

21  designer or by a registered interior designer performing

22  project management or oversight as the owner's representative.

23         Section 3.  Subsection (1) of section 481.2251, Florida

24  Statutes, is amended to read:

25         481.2251  Disciplinary proceedings against registered

26  interior designers.--

27         (1)  The following acts constitute grounds for which

28  the disciplinary actions specified in subsection (2) may be

29  taken:

30  

31  

                                  3

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 2652
    35-1447A-06




 1         (a)  Attempting to obtain, obtaining, or renewing, by

 2  bribery, by fraudulent misrepresentation, or through an error

 3  of the board, a license to practice interior design;

 4         (b)  Having a license to practice interior design

 5  revoked, suspended, or otherwise acted against, including the

 6  denial of licensure, by the licensing authority of another

 7  jurisdiction for any act which would constitute a violation of

 8  this part or of chapter 455;

 9         (c)  Being convicted or found guilty, regardless of

10  adjudication, of a crime in any jurisdiction which directly

11  relates to the provision of interior design services or to the

12  ability to provide interior design services.  A plea of nolo

13  contendere shall create a rebuttable presumption of guilt to

14  the underlying criminal charges.  However, the board shall

15  allow the person being disciplined to present any evidence

16  relevant to the underlying charges and the circumstances

17  surrounding her or his plea;

18         (d)  False, deceptive, or misleading advertising;

19         (e)  Failing to report to the board any person who the

20  licensee knows is in violation of this part or the rules of

21  the board;

22         (f)  Aiding, assisting, procuring, or advising any

23  unlicensed person to use the title "interior designer"

24  contrary to this part or to a rule of the board;

25         (g)  Failing to perform any statutory or legal

26  obligation placed upon a registered interior designer;

27         (h)  Making or filing a report which the licensee knows

28  to be false, intentionally or negligently failing to file a

29  report or record required by state or federal law, or

30  willfully impeding or obstructing such filing or inducing

31  another person to do so.  Such reports or records shall

                                  4

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 2652
    35-1447A-06




 1  include only those which are signed in the capacity as a

 2  registered interior designer;

 3         (i)  Making deceptive, untrue, or fraudulent

 4  representations in the provision of interior design services;

 5         (j)  Accepting and performing professional

 6  responsibilities which the licensee knows or has reason to

 7  know that she or he is not competent or licensed to perform;

 8         (k)  Violating any provision of this part, any rule of

 9  the board, or a lawful order of the board previously entered

10  in a disciplinary hearing;

11         (l)  Conspiring with another licensee or with any other

12  person to commit an act, or committing an act, which would

13  tend to coerce, intimidate, or preclude another licensee from

14  lawfully advertising her or his services;

15         (m)  Acceptance of compensation or any consideration by

16  an interior designer from someone other than the client

17  without full disclosure of the compensation or consideration

18  amount or value to the client prior to the engagement for

19  services, in violation of s. 481.2131(2);

20         (n)  Rendering or offering to render architectural

21  services; or

22         (o)  Committing an act of fraud or deceit, or of

23  negligence, incompetency, or misconduct, in the practice of

24  interior design, including, but not limited to, allowing the

25  preparation of any interior design studies, plans, or other

26  instruments of service in an office that does not have a

27  full-time Florida-registered interior designer assigned to

28  such office or failing to exercise responsible supervisory

29  control over services or projects, as required by board rule;.

30         (p)  Failing to report to the appropriate building

31  official, in writing, whether he or she has been employed to

                                  5

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2006                                  SB 2652
    35-1447A-06




 1  furnish design contract administration services on or before

 2  technical submissions for the work are provided to the

 3  building official; or

 4         (q)  Failing to report to the board knowledge of

 5  interior design work proceeding without the employment of a

 6  registered interior designer to furnish design contract

 7  administration services.

 8         Section 4.  Subsection (8) is added to section 481.229,

 9  Florida Statutes, to read:

10         481.229  Exceptions; exemptions from licensure.--

11         (8)  This part does not prevent a registered interior

12  designer from assisting a project owner, managing a contract

13  on behalf of an owner, or acting as an owner's representative

14  for projects related to a structure. In providing those

15  services, the interior designer must ensure the use of persons

16  licensed as architects, engineers, landscape architects,

17  plumbers, electricians, or other licensed individuals as

18  required by law to perform those activities requiring the

19  license.

20         Section 5.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2006.

21  

22            *****************************************

23                          SENATE SUMMARY

24    Revises provisions related to interior designers.
      Authorizes retired interior designers to use the title
25    "interior designer, retired." Prohibits a person from
      performing certain acts without employing a registered
26    interior designer. Provides additional disciplinary
      grounds against interior designers. Provides for contract
27    management by interior designers.

28  

29  

30  

31  

                                  6

CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.