AN ACT CONCERNING RESIDENTIAL INTERIOR DECORATORS.

To allow persons who pass a uniform national examination established by the Council for Qualification of Residential Interior Designers to register as interior designers.

Original title was changed from AN ACT CONCERNING INTERIOR DESIGNERS. New sections 2-7were added.

Connecticut would take a very important step in the home furnishing retail business by joining 34 other states in recognizing a national examination called Council for Qualification of Residential Interior Designers (CQRID). CQRID is designed specifically for those people, most of who work in retail establishments, who wish to continue on a career path in the home furnishing world as residential interior designers.

The CQRID examination is 100% residential in content. It is not in any manner designed to be a substitute for an examination currently recognized by the state, National Council for Interior Design Qualifications (NCIDQ) for interior designers, which is 80% commercial and deals with codes, wiring, and load-bearing walls.

Mr. Phalen agrees a sublicense would be needed to separate the residential and nonresidential interior designers. He says the state does not currently recognize a subcategory of interior design called residential interior designers, and that is the whole reason to this bill. He agrees he needs the committee to create a sub-registration or another certificate of registration as residential interior designers, the qualifications for which would be passing the CQRID or the equivalent.

Mr. Phalen tells the committee other states have model legislation or language explaining the differences of one type of designer vs. another, and of the different examinations and requirements. He says, “the biggest difference between the two of them is a residential interior designer, the examination focuses completely on, or the design of the house. They are not interested in codes. That's what an interior designer is for.”

Mr. Phalen goes on to explain these furniture salespeople have expertise in interior design, furniture types, periods, fabrics and what piece goes with others, and the bill is designed to give these people that work in the home furnishing world a career path.

He explains that the CQRID was designed by a court through the National Home Furnishing Association (NHFA). He thinks testing was designed by the University of North Carolina and passed all the qualifications necessary for a national examination and been approved by various authorities throughout the country to legitimize it. He thinks there's a national governing board and will get more information as to who is on the board and how it operates.

He says a designation wouldn't provide the statutory authority since the Department of Consumer Protection does not recognize the examination.

He does not believe the NCDIQ is a more all-encompassing exam than the CQRID. It's a different examination with different questions about commercial type questions, codes, and wiring. The CQRID examination focus is completely on residential questions.”

Mr. Phalen agrees to get the committee language specifying a separate registration for residential interior designers to distinguish themselves from the interior designers who had to pass more comprehensive difficult exams to be members of this profession. Oral testimony.

I just wanted to clarify a few things that Tim was not able to bring out in his testimony. The language you have today is language that we worked on back in 2001, with then Lieutenant Governor Jodi Rell, and we gave this committee that language as a placeholder knowing that we intended to get the better language later. The model bill we are looking at is actually the Illinois legislation and it is a two-tiered certificate system, so we will get you copies of that as soon as possible.

Ms. Murphy says she would have to get back to her members and talk through the proposed idea of a sub-license called a residential interior decorator certification before agreeing.

Alexandria Lanuk, American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), President, Connecticut Coalition of Interior Designers (CCID)

CCID opposes the bill. It will dilute the knowledge necessary for interior design, the level of competency expected by allied building and design professions “…as well as the intent to protect the health, safety and welfare of the public.”. Legislation to include the CQRID exam is detrimental to everything accrediting professional requirements stands for.

He states that CCID, ASID, International Interior Design Association (IIDA), and the NCIDQ believe that a “tiered registration” for interior design is the wrong way for Connecticut. They have grave concerns with the concept a two tiered recognition of services performed by registered interior designers. There are currently registered interior designers that truly practice residential design that have met the qualifications that the state currently requires.

Interior design is a single profession where individuals may select a certain focus for their work or they may choose to provide services to a wide range of clients. Interior designers advise and assist in such things as building codes, fire and safety issues, electrical and plumbing layoffs, and space planning. These services are in addition to the selection of items and furnishings or color palettes which many retail stores offer as a customer service component to their product.

NCIDQ exam requires at minimum a certificate for two years interior design coursework followed by 4 years experience The CQRID exam one may have as little as a high school degree and eight years of practical experience. CCID is very concerned that these minimal qualifications would be confused with a professional who has obtained the highest recognition within the interior design field.

State and local building officials would need to be aware that these individuals are not qualified to submit documents for building permit purposes, and 26 states that have interior design statutes would recognize a very narrow segment of services and not qualify the candidate for reciprocity.

Ms. Lanuk agrees to submit a response to the committee about creating a sub-license or sub-registration for the residential interior designers after members argue that many professions have tiers and different professional levels, with lawyers and paralegals, physicians and physician assistants, dentistry, eye doctors, etc.

§ Statistics regarding the CQRID and NCIDQ Examinations. Only 4 states utilize the CQRID exam to qualify for Interior Design Registration not 34 as CRMA states: Arkansas, California, Illinois, and Wisconsin. (Specifics are given under each state for what they recognize/require/identify.)

§ Continuing Education. A meeting has been scheduled with Connecticut's Department of Consumer Protection to discuss continuing education requirements for membership renewal to maintain an interior design registration.

§ Copies of the DVD “Interior Design, More than Meets the Eye” which is on file in the General Law Committee.

§ A petition of 250 signatures from interior designers, architects, educators, consumers, and students also in opposition. Oral and written testimony.

Opposes the bill and points out the differences between the NCIDQ Exam and the CQRID Exam:

She is opposition to the proposed addition of the CQRID exam and into the current interior design title registration, which utilizes the NCDIQ exam as a minimum standard.

Ms. Marchand then reads the written testimony submitted by Lynette Edmonds. Oral testimony

The current testing regulation for Interior Design registration is that prevention which helps protect the public from problems and dangers in interior spaces and promotes safety and welfare. The public is not properly educated on the difference between Interior Design and interior decoration. Among the key differences between the two is that Interior Designers are responsible for the elements that affect the public's health, safety and welfare whereas decorators are solely responsible for adorning spaces with fashionable things. Interior Designers select wall finishes based upon flammability ratings, durability testing results, acoustic properties, allergens, potential toxicity and off-gassing properties.

The bottom line is that it needs to be clear to the public whether they are dealing with a furniture sales person or a registered Interior Design professional. The current professional Interior Design testing requirements, regardless of specialty practice, are in the best interest of the public and must remain undiluted. – Written testimony

In opposition to the proposed legislation, we address the inequality of the CQRID and NCIDQ exams. With regard to the equality of the CQRID and NCIDQ exams, they are neither equal nor interchangeable. As such, the CQRID exam should not be included in the statute. Inclusion would lessen the strength of the NCIDQ certification process as the sole method of credentialing interior designers throughout the United States and Canada. The CQRID exam is not recognized in other states or jurisdictions with statutory regulation and could cause harm through unequal reciprocity.

As the interior design profession representative to the Coalition of Adoption of a Unified Code (an industry committee working in Connecticut to assist legislators on how to support the State agencies charged with ensuring public safety in the built environment), it is evident the newly adopted International codes family will strengthen the requirements covering residential dwellings. They place a higher demand on designers who do interior design as opposed to decorating or selling product. Residential clients need the same protection as commercial clients when they look to a standard of design competency.

Ms. Plavcan confirms as an interior designer she has to register annually but there are no requirements for continuing education or passing a renewed or updated exam once passing the test, to be able to renew registration each year. Oral and written testimony.

With 78 million baby boomers coming of age, turning 61 this year on the leading edge, 41 on the lower edge, our nation is looking at the dilemma of not having the appropriate housing stock for all of us to age with the quality of life and grace we would wish.

Interior designers are not only relevant, but they are essential to the appropriate design of all living working and play spaces. But more so than any other environment is the home that requires an educated professional to provide for all of our needs. I have no problem with decorators, but I do have a problem with having someone referred to as a designer, when in fact they don't share the same educational values. Consumers will not understand the difference, and that could impact the quality, of not only their safety, but their lives overall.

Ms. Moore as a solution offers the word decorator over designer for registration as a residential interior decorator, and agrees if the qualifications to be a residential interior decorator was passing the CQRID exam, that would be acceptable. – Oral testimony.

Sara Kekacs, student representative for the CT Coalition for Interior Designers

Because of the education I have received, I am prepared to provide an esthetically pleasing environment to my client that will address their needs and meet the standards for their health, safety and welfare. I chose to attend the University of New Haven to receive my degree in interior design, because they are currently going forward with CIDA certification, which sets the highest standard for interior design education.

By allowing the CQRID to be placed on the same level as the NCDIQ, it lowers the minimum standard for interior design qualification. The countless hours spent perfecting our craft, not to mention the rising costs of continuing education, should not be undermined by the implementation of the CQRID examination. Please do not diminish the value of a four year specialized education. – Oral testimony.

Felice Silverman, President International Interior Design Association (IIDA) New England

IIDA Board of Directors and membership vehemently opposes the addition of the CQRID examination to section 20-377n of the existing Interior Design law in Connecticut. (Chapter 396a)

The NCIDQ is the only nationally recognized exam qualifying Interior Designers. This exam was established in 1973 and serves as the benchmark for Interior Design qualification in 26 states in the U.S., Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and eight Canadian provinces.

The NCDIQ is a rigorous 13.5 hour exam that is the minimum standard acceptable to qualify as an Interior Designer. Acceptance of a lower standard such as the Council for Qualification of Residential Designers examination will only serve to offer less protection to the health, safety and welfare for the public in Connecticut. We feel that acceptance of a lower level examination that only tests competence in residential design will only serve to undermine our efforts, confuse the consumer, and lead to less qualified Design professionals in the state of Connecticut. – Written testimony

Bill No.:	SB-1300
Title:	AN ACT CONCERNING RESIDENTIAL INTERIOR DECORATORS.
Vote Date:	3/14/2007
Vote Action:	Joint Favorable Substitute
PH Date:	3/1/2007
File No.:	186

The NCDIQ represents a nationally accepted regulatory minimum standard regardless of sub specialty. Sitting for the exam requires 4 years of college/2 years experience or 2 years college/4 years experience.	The CQRID represents a trade organization standard of testing specific to residential interior decorators. Sitting for the exam only requires work experience no interior design education.
The NCDIQ exam process is governed by State and Provincial regulatory agencies in 26 jurisdictions in the US which regulate professional interior design.	The CQRID exam process is governed by the Interior Design Society, a subset of the National Home Furnishings Association.
NCDIQ exam is an independent instrument developed for the purpose of protecting the public by identifying those competent to practice interior design.	CQRID exam is a self-serving to trade organizations developed for the purpose of introducing tiered or diluted registration requirements.
The NCDIQ exam process requires a candidate to be competent in all aspects of interior design, preparation of drawings for construction and permitting purposes, understanding of building and fire codes as well as Americans with Disabilities Act standards.	The candidates for the CQRID exam are primarily employed at retail establishments. Skill levels may be based upon on on-the-job training for sales purposes in layout and selection of furniture, fabrics, paints and finishes.
The NCDIQ is a three part broad based minimum standard test of interior design technical knowledge and skills concentrating on health safety and welfare.	The two part CQRID tests primarily residential design with concentration on style and aesthetic principals and minimal health, safety and welfare concerns.
The contents of the NCIDQ are linked to independent research to assure all aspects of Interior Design are tested regardless of project type	Last statistics show the CQRID exam focuses on theory, aesthetic details, and business criteria with minimal attention to codes and regulation.
NCDIQ offers and Interior Design Experience Program to validate work experience to sit for exam and continue education credit tracking.	CQRID does not offer any program to validate work experience or track continuing education credits.
The NCDIQ website is comprehensive and provides a wealth of knowledge.	The CQRID website is a static page lacking pertinent information as well as an address or phone number for the organization.