Bill Highlights

The Tennessee Interior Design Consumer Protection Act in Summary

The Tennessee Interior Design Consumer Protection Act will raise the practice bar from its passage forward. The new law will regulate the practice of interior design, not just the title alone. For new registrants, the bill:

		Legally limits interior design practice to those practitioners who are qualified and licensed by the state to practice.
		Promotes Council for Interior Design Accreditation (formerly known as FIDER) accredited design education or equivalent as determined by the state licensing board. Provides path for graduates of non-accredited programs through expanded experience requirements.
		Requires NCIDQ certification.
		Requires minimum number of diversified and appropriate hours of entry-level experience in the field of interior design. The bill requires participation in IDEP program beginning in 2012; participation in the IDEP program is strongly encouraged prior to 2012.
		Requires 24 PDH’s (.24 CEU’s) per 2-year registration period. This is the same number as is currently required under the existing interior design Title Act (1991). It is also the same number required by the licensing board for architects and engineers.
		Provides clear guidelines for work with other related disciplines:
		Life safety summary plan (as developed and defined by the State Fire Marshal), if required on a project, must be produced and sealed by a registered architect. Wall sections and related details for fire-rated assemblies, if required on a project, must be produced and sealed by a registered architect.
		Provides sealing privileges to distinguish work by qualified designers; seal will be accepted by code officials in the permitting application process.

Those registrants who are currently registered in Tennessee as “Registered Interior Designers” under the existing Interior Design Title Act (1991), including those grand-parented under the original bill, will automatically be registered under the new Act as “Interior Designers”. It is important to remember that this is not an open grand-parenting policy. Only individuals who are currently registered as a “Registered Interior Designer” may be automatically registered under the new law. Based on the 1991 Title Act Law, those who were registered under the initial grandparent clause now have a minimum of 19 years of experience

There are a few clarifications:

		Architects may practice interior design but may not call themselves ‘interior designers’ without registration under the new Act.
		Several individuals are exempted from limited portions of the Act. The following individuals may continue to practice their profession/employment without it being considered the practice of interior design and thus violating the Act:
		Employees not in responsible charge: may practice interior design but may not call themselves ‘interior designers’ without registration under the new Act. Unregistered out-of-state consultants: may practice interior design in the state of Tennessee if all of the following conditions are met:   The individuals are qualified to practice in their own state/country; The individuals are associated with a TN registered interior designer; and The individuals not refer to themselves ‘interior designers’ without registration under the new Act.
		Internal facility staff providing services to employer only (not to the public) may practice interior design in their employment role but may not call themselves ‘interior designers’ without registration under the new Act. Retail employees may provide some limited services which could be considered interior design but may not call themselves ‘interior designers’ without registration under the new Act. Interior decorators and /or providers of decorative services may provide some limited services which could be considered interior design but may not call themselves ‘interior designers’ without registration under the new Act.

Please note that exemption from limited portions of this Act is not an exemption from the law and regulations of the State of Tennessee.  Every design-related activity is still subject to all provisions of TN law, including codes, accessibility regulations, etc.