House unanimously votes yes on Rep. McClintock’s bill to improve the architectural licensing process

A bill from Rep. Stephanie McClintock to assist people working toward a career in architecture is moving forward after receiving unanimous support from the House on Wednesday. House Bill 1880 would eliminate the five-year rolling timeline for architecture applicants to successfully pass each section of their examination for registration.

“This is a commonsense change that would remove an unnecessary barrier for someone trying to pursue an architectural career in Washington,” said McClintock, R-Vancouver. “Every situation is different and not everyone can complete all the requirements in the same amount of time. This would level the playing field for everyone, including people serving in the military, as well as women and candidates of color, who are the ones most affected by the current statute.”

Under current law, to qualify for registration as an architect in Washington, an applicant must pass the required examination. The Washington State Board of Architects is responsible for determining the examination’s scope, content, and grading process, and ensure the exam is offered at least once a year.

Applicants who fail to pass any section of the examination are permitted to retake the failed parts. However, applicants have only five years from the date of the first passed examination section to pass all remaining sections. If the entire examination is not successfully completed within the five years, then any sections passed more than five years prior must be retaken.

If an applicant fails to pass all remaining sections within the initial five-year period, the applicant is given a new five-year period from the date of the second oldest passed section. Currently, all sections must be passed within a single five-year period for the applicant to pass the examination successfully.

If House Bill 1880 were to become law, the five-year rolling period would be removed, which would allow architectural applicants to retake and pass any failed sections of the examination as the Board prescribes.

“According to the National Council of Architectural Registration Board this is an outdated policy that is hurting the industry,” said McClintock. “It’s time to remove this unnecessary burden and make the architectural licensing process more equal for everyone.”

House Bill 1880 is now headed to the Senate for further consideration.

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Washington State House Republican Communications
houserepublicans.wa.gov