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D.C. City Council Unanimously Passes Landscape Architecture Licensing Act12-12-16 | Legislation

D.C. City Council Unanimously Passes Landscape Architecture Licensing Act

D.C. has passed the Regulation of Landscape Architecture and Professional Design Firms Amendment Act of 2016. The measure now goes to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for signature in January, followed by a 30-day congressional review. Mayor Bowser began her term on January 2, 2015. Her first budget earmarked $100 million to the Housing Production Trust Fund to increase affordable housing in D.C.

After nearly four years of continual advocacy, the ASLA Potomac Chapter scored a major licensure victory.

On Tuesday, December 6, the District of Columbia City Council unanimously passed the Regulation of Landscape Architecture and Professional Design Firms Amendment Act of 2016 (Bill 21-790). The legislation establishes the requirement of licensure to practice landscape architecture in the District of Columbia.

The measure now goes to D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for signature in January, followed by a 30-day congressional review.swisspam.com Once these last steps are complete, D.C. will join the 50 states in requiring the licensing of landscape architects.

The success of this bill is due to many collective and sustained advocacy efforts including the Potomac Chapter and ASLA's testimony at a hearing on the legislation in October, the many personal emails and calls made to the D.C. Councilmembers from landscape architects in the District, Virginia and Maryland, and nearly 1,500 people from across the nation who signed the ASLA national petition supporting the legislation.

Bill Summary: B21-0790, introduced by Chairman Mendelson, Jun 21, 2016, establishes a Board of Architecture, Interior Design and Landscape Architecture to regulate the practice of architecture, interior design, and landscape architecture. It allows students and employees to engage in the practice of architecture when under the supervision of a licensed architect. It establishes the requirements for a professional design firm to be licensed in the District of Columbia and requires a license from the District prior to being able to offer or perform professional design services.

Previous news regarding this bill

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