AL
Alabama House Bill HB594

Alabama 2025 Regular Session

Alabama House Bill HB594 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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44 Y5KV666-1
55 By Representatives Rafferty, Wilcox, Underwood
66 RFD: Boards, Agencies and Commissions
77 First Read: 17-Apr-25
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1212 5 Y5KV666-1 02/17/2025 KMS (L)cr 2024-3263
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1515 SYNOPSIS:
1616 Under existing law, the Alabama Board of
1717 Examiners of Landscape Architects regulates the
1818 practice of landscape architecture in this state.
1919 This bill would clarify definitions, examination
2020 requirements, and fees.
2121 This bill would provide for reciprocity.
2222 This bill would also make nonsubstantive,
2323 technical revisions to update existing code language to
2424 current style.
2525 A BILL
2626 TO BE ENTITLED
2727 AN ACT
2828 Relating to the Alabama Board of Examiners of Landscape
2929 Architects; to amend Sections 34-17-1, 34-17-20, 34-17-21,
3030 34-17-22, 34-17-25, and 34-17-26, Code of Alabama 1975, to
3131 clarify definitions, examination requirements, and fees; to
3232 provide for reciprocity; to repeal Section 34-17-23, Code of
3333 Alabama 1975, relating to reciprocity; and to make
3434 nonsubstantive, technical revisions to update existing code
3535 language to current style.
3636 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
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6666 BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF ALABAMA:
6767 Section 1. Sections 34-17-1, 34-17-20, 34-17-21,
6868 34-17-22, 34-17-25, and 34-17-26 of the Code of Alabama 1975,
6969 are amended to read as follows:
7070 "§34-17-1
7171 For purposes of this chapter, the following words and
7272 phrases shall have the respective following meanings ascribed
7373 by this section:
7474 (1) BOARD. The Alabama State Board of Examiners of
7575 Landscape Architects.
7676 (2) CLARB. The Council of Landscape Architectural
7777 Registration Boards which is comprised of members of landscape
7878 architect licensing boards located across the United States
7979 and Canada.
8080 (2)(3) LANDSCAPE ARCHITECT. A person An individual who
8181 is engaged or offers to engage in the practice of landscape
8282 architecture, as hereinafter defined in this state .
8383 (3)(4) LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE. The performance of
8484 professional services such as consultation, investigation,
8585 research, planning, design, preparation of drawings and
8686 specifications, and responsible supervision in connection with
8787 the development of land areas where, and to the extent that
8888 the dominant purpose of such services is the preservation,
8989 enhancement, or determination of proper land uses, natural
9090 land features, planting, naturalistic and aesthetic values,
9191 the settings and approaches to structures or other
9292 improvements, the setting of grades and determining drainage
9393 and providing for standard drainage structures, and the
9494 consideration and determination of environmental problems of
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124124 consideration and determination of environmental problems of
125125 land including erosion, blight, and other hazards. This
126126 practice shall include the design of such tangible objects and
127127 features as are incidental and necessary to the purpose
128128 outlined herein in this chapter but shall not include the
129129 design of structures or facilities with separate and
130130 self-contained purposes such as are ordinarily included in the
131131 practice of engineering or architecture, and shall not include
132132 the making of land surveys of final plats for official
133133 approval or recordation. Nothing contained herein shall
134134 preclude a duly licensed landscape architect from performing
135135 any of the services described in the first sentence of this
136136 subsection in connection with the settings, approaches, or
137137 environment for buildings, structures, or facilities. Nothing
138138 contained in this chapter shall be construed as authorizing a
139139 landscape architect to engage in the practice of architecture,
140140 engineering, or land surveying as these terms are defined in
141141 Section 34-17-27."
142142 "§34-17-20
143143 (a) In order to safeguard public welfare, health, and
144144 property and to promote public good, any person individual
145145 practicing or offering to practice landscape architecture,
146146 privately or in public service, shall be required to submit
147147 evidence that he or she is qualified to practice as
148148 hereinafter provided in this chapter . It shall be unlawful for
149149 any person individual to practice landscape architecture or to
150150 use the term or title "landscape architect" or "registered
151151 landscape architect" unless he or she is duly licensed under
152152 the provisions of this chapter.
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182182 the provisions of this chapter.
183183 (b) The state board shall adopt a program of continuing
184184 education for its licensees not later than October 1, 1993,
185185 and after that date no licensee shall have his or her active
186186 license renewed unless, in addition to any other requirements
187187 of this chapter, the minimum continuing annual education
188188 requirements are met. It is further provided that the
189189 continuing education program herein required shall not include
190190 testing or examination of the licensees in any manner."
191191 "§34-17-21
192192 For licensing as a landscape architect, the following
193193 evidence shall be submitted that the applicant shall comply
194194 with at least one of the following :
195195 (1) Is at least 19 years of age Hold a degree in
196196 landscape architecture from a school or college approved by
197197 the board or meet the alternative education requirements
198198 approved by the board and satisfy the examination and
199199 experience requirements .
200200 (2) Has, before making application to the board,
201201 completed the course of study in and been graduated from a
202202 college or school of landscape architecture approved by the
203203 board. The application for examination shall be accompanied by
204204 proof of actual practical experience in landscape
205205 architectural work of a grade and character satisfactory to
206206 the board. Each complete year of study in an approved college
207207 or school of landscape architecture shall be accepted in lieu
208208 of one year of practical experience, and the applicant shall
209209 submit evidence of sufficient additional acceptable experience
210210 to total five years of combined education and practical
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240240 to total five years of combined education and practical
241241 experience. The master's or doctoral degree in landscape
242242 architecture shall fulfill the requirements for five years
243243 combined education and practical experience. The applicant
244244 shall also submit proof of one additional year of practical
245245 experience sufficient to total six years of combined education
246246 and practical experience. In lieu of graduation from an
247247 accredited college or school of landscape architecture, and
248248 the practical experience in addition thereto, an applicant may
249249 be admitted to the examination upon presenting evidence of at
250250 least eight years of actual practical experience in landscape
251251 architectural work of a grade and character satisfactory to
252252 the board. In order to qualify for the exemption from the
253253 requirement to obtain a degree in landscape architecture based
254254 on eight years of practical experience, an applicant must have
255255 begun accepting practical experience prior to August 1, 2012.
256256 (3) Is a citizen of the United States or, if not a
257257 citizen of the United States, is a person who is legally
258258 present in the United States with appropriate documentation
259259 from the federal government (2) Satisfy the requirements for
260260 licensing by reciprocity as provided by board rule ."
261261 "§34-17-22
262262 Examinations for the license shall be held by the board
263263 at least once each year. The board shall adopt rules and
264264 regulations covering the subjects and scope of the
265265 examinations, shall publish appropriate announcements and
266266 shall conduct the examinations at the times designated. Except
267267 as hereinafter provided in this chapter to the contrary, every
268268 applicant for licensing as a landscape architect shall be
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298298 applicant for licensing as a landscape architect shall be
299299 required, in addition to all other requirements, to establish
300300 by a board approved examination, which may be digital, his or
301301 her competence to plan, design, specify, and supervise the
302302 installation of landscape projects. Each board approved
303303 examination may be supplemented by such oral examinations as
304304 the board shall determine The licensing examination shall be
305305 developed and administered by CLARB ."
306306 "§34-17-25
307307 The fees prescribed by this chapter shall be in the
308308 following amounts:
309309 (1) The fee for application to the board is one hundred
310310 fifty dollars ($150).
311311 (2) The fee for examination or reexamination shall be
312312 in an amount as established by the board in order to cover all
313313 costs of examination, but in no event shall the fee exceed the
314314 actual cost of preparing and administering the examination.
315315 (3) The fee for an original certificate is fifty
316316 dollars ($50).
317317 (4) The fee for a duplicate certificate is fifty
318318 dollars ($50).
319319 (5) The annual license fee is one hundred fifty dollars
320320 ($150).
321321 (6) The delinquent penalty fee is fifty dollars ($50).
322322 (7) The fee for administration of the supplemental
323323 examination attestation, review, and recording on the statutes
324324 and laws governing the practice of landscape architecture in
325325 Alabama this state is one hundred fifty dollars ($150).
326326 (8) The reinstatement fee is three hundred dollars
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356356 (8) The reinstatement fee is three hundred dollars
357357 ($300).
358358 (9) The inactive status fee is seventy-five dollars
359359 ($75)."
360360 "§34-17-26
361361 The board, subject to the provisions of this chapter
362362 and the rules and regulations of the board promulgated
363363 thereunder prescribing by rule, may provide for the
364364 qualifications for a landscape architect license , may permit
365365 the practice of landscape architecture in this state under a
366366 landscape architect license issued under the laws of any other
367367 state or country, upon payment of the current fee established
368368 by the board, and upon submission of all of the following
369369 evidence satisfactory to the board: by reciprocity.
370370 (1) That the other state or country maintained a system
371371 and standard of qualifications and examinations for a
372372 landscape architect license which were substantially
373373 equivalent to those required in this state at the time the
374374 license was issued by the other state or country.
375375 (2) That the other state or country gives similar
376376 recognition and endorsement to landscape architect licenses of
377377 this state."
378378 Section 2. Section 34-17-23, Code of Alabama 1975,
379379 relating to the reciprocal licensing of architects, is
380380 repealed.
381381 Section 3. This act shall become effective on October
382382 1, 2025.
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