Amends existing law to provide for certified interior designers to be able to sign and seal certain technical submissions and to make such submissions to state or local governmental entities.

LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF IDAHO
Sixty-eighth Legislature Second Regular Session - 2026
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
HOUSE BILL NO. 790
BY WAYS AND MEANS COMMITTEE
AN ACT	1
RELATING TO ARCHITECTS; AMENDING SECTION 54-306, IDAHO CODE, TO ESTABLISH	2
AN EXEMPTION TO ALLOW THE FILING OF CERTAIN TECHNICAL SUBMISSIONS; AND	3
DECLARING AN EMERGENCY AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.	4
Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Idaho:	5
SECTION 1. That Section 54-306, Idaho Code, be, and the same is hereby	6
amended to read as follows:	7
54-306. EXEMPTIONS. Nothing contained in this chapter shall be held or	8
construed to have any application to, or to prevent or affect, the following:	9
(1) The practice of engineering or any other profession or trade for	10
which a license is required under any law of this state, or the practice	11
of consultants, officers and employees of the United States while engaged	12
solely in the practice of architecture for said government.	13
(2) Draftsmen, students, clerks of work, project representatives and	14
others working under the supervision of those lawfully practicing as archi-	15
tects under the provisions of this chapter from acting under the instruc-	16
tion, control or supervision of their supervisors, or to prevent the employ-	17
ment of clerks of work or inspectors of buildings paid by the owners from act-	18
ing, if under the control or direction of a licensed architect who has pre-	19
pared the drawings and specifications for the building.	20
(3) The rendering of any architectural service required in the erec-	21
tion, enlargement, alteration or repair of any building, where the building	22
is to be or is used as a single or multiple family residence not exceeding	23
three (3) units or three (3) stories in height; or as a farm building; or for	24
the purpose of outbuildings or auxiliary buildings in connection with the	25
residential or farm premises.	26
(4) The rendering of any architectural service required in the erec-	27
tion, enlargement, alteration or repair of any building that does not in-	28
volve the public health or safety.	29
(5) The preparation of shop drawings by persons other than architects	30
for use in connection with the execution of their work; or the preparation of	31
drawings of fixtures or other appliances or equipment, or for any work neces-	32
sary to provide for their installation.	33
(6) Expert consultation rendered to an architect by a consultant,	34
whether licensed or not, employed by the architect to consult, advise and	35
assist as long as the architect approves, adopts and is responsible for the	36
results of the consultation, advice and assistance.	37
(7) An intern working under the supervision of a licensed architect,	38
including the use of the title "architectural intern," as may be established	39
and limited by board rule.	40
(8) A certified interior designer signing and sealing a technical sub-	41
mission covering the scope of certified interior design. Certified interior	42

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designers shall have the authority to submit such a technical submission to	1
a state or local governmental entity for the purpose of obtaining any requi-	2
site permit for an interior alteration or construction project. A local gov-	3
ernment shall process such filings in the same manner as it would if such fil-	4
ings were submitted by an architect.	5
(a) Certified interior designers shall not be engaged in the construc-	6
tion of:	7
(i) Services that constitute the practice of professional en-	8
gineering or architecture, except as otherwise provided in this	9
chapter;	10
(ii) Modifications or additions to a building envelope, includ-	11
ing exterior walls, exterior wall claddings, exterior wall open-	12
ings, exterior windows and doors, balconies and similar projec-	13
tions, roof assemblies and rooftop structures, and glass and glaz-	14
ing for exterior use in both vertical and sloped applications in	15
buildings and structures;	16
(iii) Changes of building use to occupancies not already allowed	17
by the current building or structure or changes of building use to	18
occupancies of a greater hazard;	19
(iv) Modifications or additions to the construction classifi-	20
cation of a building or structure according to the international	21
building code;	22
(v) Modifications or additions to the structural system of	23
a building, including changing the building's dead load on the	24
structural system;	25
(vi) Material changes to the mechanical, plumbing, heating, air	26
conditioning, ventilation, electrical, low voltage, elevators	27
and conveying, fire protection, or fire alarm systems;	28
(vii) Design of or modifications to an exit stair or exit dis-	29
charge portion of a means of egress system; or	30
(viii) Construction that materially affects life safety systems	31
pertaining to fire safety of structural elements or the fire pro-	32
tection of structural elements, smoke evacuation and compartmen-	33
talization systems, or fire-rated vertical shafts in multi-story	34
structures.	35
(b) A certified interior designer shall, as a condition of filing tech-	36
nical submissions for the purpose of obtaining approval for a building	37
permit, provide to the responsible building official of the jurisdic-	38
tion proof of the interior designer's professional liability insurance	39
coverage that is in force.	40
(c) As used in this subsection, "certified interior designer" means a	41
person who:	42
(i) Holds an active certified interior designer certification	43
from the board. Such certification shall require that the inte-	44
rior designer:	45
1. Has met the education and experience requirements of, and	46
has subsequently passed, the qualification examination pro-	47
mulgated by the council for interior design qualification or	48
its successor organization; and	49

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2. Maintains active certification with the council for in-	1
terior design qualification or its successor organization;	2
and	3
(ii) Engages in:	4
1. Consultation, study, design analysis, drawing, space	5
planning, and specification for nonstructural or nonseismic	6
interior construction and alteration projects in compliance	7
with applicable building design and construction acces-	8
sibility, fire, life safety, and energy codes, standards,	9
regulations, and guidelines;	10
2. Preparing and submitting technical submissions for	11
the purpose of obtaining approval for a building permit as	12
provided by law for nonstructural or nonseismic interior	13
construction, materials, finishes, space planning, fur-	14
nishings, fixtures, equipment, lighting, and reflected	15
ceiling plans;	16
3. Designing for fabrication nonstructural elements within	17
and surrounding interior spaces of buildings;	18
4. Administration of design construction and contract docu-	19
ments, as the clients' agent, relating to the functions de-	20
scribed in this subparagraph, and collaboration with spe-	21
cialty consultants and licensed practitioners in other ar-	22
eas of technical expertise; or	23
5. Creation or alteration of paths of egress.	24
(d) As used in this subsection, "nonstructural or nonseismic" means in-	25
terior elements or components that are not load-bearing, do not assist	26
in the seismic design, and do not require structural computations for	27
a building. Common nonstructural or nonseismic elements or components	28
include ceiling and partition systems that employ normal and typical	29
bracing conventions and are not part of the structural integrity of the	30
building.	31
(e) The board is authorized to promulgate rules, subject to legislative	32
approval, only for the administration of the interior design certifica-	33
tion provided pursuant to this subsection. Nothing in this subsection	34
authorizes the board to promulgate rules relating to licensure.	35
(f) The interior design certification provided for pursuant to this	36
subsection shall not be required for interior designers who do not	37
engage in the practice of signing, sealing, and submitting technical	38
submissions as described in this subsection.	39
SECTION 2. An emergency existing therefor, which emergency is hereby	40
declared to exist, this act shall be in full force and effect on and after	41
July 1, 2026.	42

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