BILL NUMBER: S9673
SPONSOR: MAY
 
TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the requirements for
certification for certified interior designers
 
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
To align New York requirements for the certification of interior design-
ers with those of a national certification organization for interior
design professionals.
 
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1. amends § 8305 of the education law to align education, expe-
rience, and examination requirements for the certification of interior
designers with those of a national certification organization for inte-
rior design professionals, provided that such certifying organization is
approved by the commissioner. This section also allows the Board to
exempt licensed architects from the requirements of the statute.
Section 2 Provides an effective date of January 1st after the date on
which it becomes a law, provided that the addition and/or repeal of any
rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its
effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on
or before such effective date.
 
JUSTIFICATION:
To be eligible in New York State for registration as a Certified Interi-
or Designer, practitioners must take and pass the NCIDQ Exam, the
nationally recognized examination for the interior design profession.
NCIDQ Certificate Holders must undergo formal education, thousands of
hours of paid, supervised experience, and an internationally recognized,
eleven-hour certification exam to prepare for protecting the health,
safety, and welfare of the public in practice.
NCIDQ Certificate holders are highly qualified to independently design
nonloadbearing, non-seismic, and non-structural interior design elements
in code-regulated spaces. However, some NCIDQ Certificate holders,
despite having passed the exam and thus demonstrating minimal competence
to protect the public, are not eligible for the New York State Certified
Interior Designer title.
Currently, New York is one of two states that require more education and
experience to acquire the state-protected title than is required to be
eligible to sit for the NCIDQ Exam. As part of the eligibility require-
ments for the Certified Interior Designer title, New York State even
specifies educational content requirements, such as color theory, that
not all NCIDQ Certificate holders may receive, despite having passed the
examined established themselves as being minimally qualified and compe-
tent. As a result, qualified practitioners who passed the exam and would
be eligible for registration in most other regulated jurisdictions
cannot become Certified Interior Designers in New York State.
This legislation would update statutory qualification requirements for
certified interior designers with those of the NCIDQ, and remove barri-
ers to entry for certification for many otherwise qualified interior
designers already working in New York.
 
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
2025: S1141 (Hoylman-Sigal)
2024: S.9064 (Hoylman-Sigal)
 
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
None.
 
EFFECTIVE DATE:
January after it shall become law.