There will be challenges this year as well. Our neighboring chapters in Washington State are facing a Practice Act currently before the Washington State Legislature. This legislation is being promoted by The Interior Design Coalition of Washington, IDCW or IDCWA, (www.idcwashington.org).

If passed designers who do not meet NCIDQ requirements for certification will not be able to practice in the State of Washington. Kitchen and Bath firms will not be able to market design services unless they add NCIDQ certified partners and staff to their firms. Suppliers may suffer as well from a diminished roster of clients for their products and services. Students graduating from interior design programs at schools that do not have Council for Interior Design Education accreditation will have to return to school and serve a two year internship under a select group of NCIDQ designers. This will result in a massive reduction in the work force as they may never be able to take the NCIDQ if they cannot win an NCIDQ certified internship.

What does this mean to the members of the Columbia River Chapter? Many member firms currently do business in South Western Washington. If this passes, they will not be able to unless they too add NCIDQ certified partners and staff to their firms. While the Interior Design Coalition in Oregon, www.idc-oregon.org has not yet decided what form and when legislation will be sent to our legislature, our states are so closely connected, that what occurs in one will undoubtedly impact the other. Do we want the interior design coalition here inspired to emulate the success of their neighboring coalition in Washington?

The organization fighting this legislation is WA-PPDF, Washington Professionals Protecting Design Freedom (www.wa-ppdf.org). They have asked for our help. In her most recent webpage article, Diane Plesset, CMKBD, ASID has shared websites that would be of great interest as concerns legislation. Would you take a moment to visit them? Afterwards, would you take a moment to let your board know what your thoughts are on the matter? We, your board, welcome your comments and feedback.