McClintock bill to improve the architectural licensing process moves another step closer to becoming law

The Washington State Senate unanimously approved a bill from Rep. Stephanie McClintock on Wednesday, aimed at simplifying the testing process for people seeking an architectural career in Washington.

House Bill 1880 would eliminate the five-year rolling timeline for architecture applicants to successfully pass each section of their examination for registration. Current law requires an applicant to pass the required examination to qualify for registration as an architect in Washington.

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.

McClintock, R-Vancouver, explained how her bill would simplify that testing process and level the playing field for all architectural candidates:

“According to the National Council of Architectural Registration Board, this is an outdated policy that disproportionately impacts women and candidates of color. This has created an undue burden for women having children. It also hinders people in the military who must request special consideration to get extensions on the rolling clocks. We need to remove this timeline to simplify the architectural licensing process for everyone.”

The Washington State Board of Architects is responsible for determining the examination’s scope, content, and grading process, and the exam must be held at least annually. Applicants who fail to pass any section of the examination are permitted to retake the failed parts within the initial five-year period.

All sections must be passed within a single five-year period for the applicant to pass the examination successfully. Under House Bill 1880, with the five-year rolling period removed, architectural applicants would be permitted to retake any failed sections of the examination as the Board prescribes.

“This is a simple change that would have a big impact for those pursuing architecture as a career. This legislation would eliminate unnecessary pressure on applicants and create more equity in the process,” said McClintock.

The bill now heads to the governor’s desk to be signed into law.

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Washington State House Republican Communications
houserepublicans.wa.gov