Florida's House Bill 607, scheduled to take effect July 1 if passed, would weaken the landscape architecture license by eliminating the requirement for continuing education units (CEUs) for renewal. On paper, this may look like a minor administrative change. In practice, it represents a meaningful shift in how professional expertise is maintained in one of the country's most active
development markets.

If Florida moves forward, they would become the 10th state that does not require CEUs for Landscape Architects, joining California, Arizona, Colorado, Idaho, North Dakota, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Maine, and Hawaii.

 

While that list may create a precedent for other states. it also raises another question for the profession: without CEUs, how will PLAs consistently stay at the top of development?

One area where this question becomes especially pointed is lighting design. Exterior lighting is a major component of large-scale projects - parks, streetscapes, campuses, and commercial developments - yet it's treated as a luxury instead of an essential piece of PLA expansion.

Revisiting Florida, the University of Florida has the state's only accredited ungraduated program for landscape architecture. A review of its published program and course descriptions reveals no explicit mention of "light" or "lighting." This does not mean lighting design is absent from the curriculum, but it does suggest that it is not being positioned as a core competency. When academic exposure is limited and professional continuing education is no longer required, gaps in practice are almost inevitable.

Lighting often represents a significant portion of construction budgets and design fees, particularly in civic and urban projects. If the profession does not actively maintain and advance its expertise in this area, those services run the risk of being seized by other professions.

HB 607 is ultimately about deregulation, but its ripple effects could extend beyond licensure. It challenges the profession to decide whether continued professional development is optional or essential. In fast-evolving areas like lighting design, the answer may determine whether Landscape Architects lead multidisciplinary teams - or are sidelined by them.


God Bless . . .