2019-2020 AIA Pennsylvania Legislative Survey

In order to continue advocating for our members, we need to hear from you! Your opinions and ideas help AIA Pennsylvania advocate for common-sense policies on key issues that put architects to work.

Please take the time to fill out this survey to help further shape your legislative agenda for the organization that represents you in Harrisburg. Your responses will help us to make the case to state legislators that architects are an integral part of the economy.

This survey can be taken at your own leisure, however, AIA Pennsylvania will be hosting three webinars that will explain each legislative item listed below and give you an opportunity to ask questions along the way. 

If you would like to participate in one of these webinars please sign up here.

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* 1. What is your first name?

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* 2. What is your last name?

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* 3. At what email address would you like to be contacted?

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* 4. Select your AIA membership level.

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* 5. Please indicate the size of your practice.

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* 6. Do you know who your State Representative and State Senator are?

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* 7. If you answered no to the question above. Legislators are determined by where you live. For legislator matching purposes please list your home address below. This information will be kept confidential. You can also find your legislators via this link. 

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* 8. Please rank the following state legislative issues by their level (tier) of importance.

 Select Tier 1, 2 or 3 for each item. *Tier 1 being most important.

  Tier 1 Tier 2 Tier 3
Encroachment on the Practice of Architecture
Building Codes Updates and Protection
Mandatory Continuing Education of Architects
Reforming and Funding the Public School Construction ( PlanCon)
Public- Private Partnerships (P3)
Historic Preservation
State Procurement
Green Buildings and Sustainability
Professional Services Tax
Mechanics Lien for Design Professionals
Student Loan Forgiveness for Architectural Graduates
Statute of Repose and Tort Reform
Small Business Issues
Professional Development

For over ten years, AIA Pennsylvania has advocated for a mandatory continuing education requirement in Pennsylvania. Last session, this bill made it through the House and to the Senate Committee on Consumer Protection and Professional Licensure where it never received a vote. AIA members are already required to complete MCE to satisfy their membership, this bill would require it by law for all licensed architects. 

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* 9. Do you support Mandatory Continuing Education for Registered Architects in Pennsylvania upon renewal of their license?

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* 10. Are you required to complete MCE for any other states that you are licensed in? Please list the states in the comment box.

Encroachment

In recent years, we have seen a number of other industries related to the construction and design field start to encroach on the practice of architects. This includes the unlicensed practice of architecture in private practice, the public sector, and creative policy changes and proposals in the General Assembly. Those that would like to change the profession of architecture to benefit their occupations and professions include contractors, drafters, interior designers, engineers, ESCOs, construction managers and more. In this upcoming legislative session, AIA Pennsylvania aims to curtail this encroachment and protect the future of the profession of architecture.

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* 11. Do you see others encroaching on the practice of architecture in your daily work?

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* 12. What industry or profession do you believe has the largest potential to take jobs, duties, or responsibilities away from architects?

  Biggest Threat Moderate Threat Not a Threat
Energy Savings Companies
Engineers
Contractors
Interior Designers
Artificial Intelligence
Drafters and BIM operators
Construction Managers
Large Real Estate Companies
Commercial Roofing or Manufacturing Companies

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* 13. Please elaborate on the occupations or professions that you believe are encroaching on architectural practice?

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* 14. Do you believe that interior designers should have the ability to sign and seal construction documents without using the services of an architect?

Building Codes
AIA Pennsylvania was an active supporter of Act 36 of 2017 which updated the PA UCC to the 2015 ICC Codes and the Philadelphia Building code to 2018 ICC IBC for commercial construction. AIA Pennsylvania currently supports an opt-out process by 2/3 majority every 3 years as the ICC Codes are released. This means automatic adoption of the latest suite of codes and individual code sections must achieve a 2/3 vote of the RAC to be taken out.

Currently, in Pennsylvania, we are part of an opt-in voting process every 4.5 years. This means the RAC votes on each code section and requires a 2/3 majority to adopt each one. Furthermore, the delay of 4.5 years means the next version of ICC codes (2018) will not be considered for adoption until mid-2021 and may not take effect until 2022 at the earliest. Read more about the code adoption process here.

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* 15. What future changes would you like to see made to the building codes adoption process in Pennsylvania?

Development
AIA Pennsylvania is interested in advocating for sustainable and community conscious new development and re-development at all levels. Most development requirements are dictated at the local level, however, there are some policy changes that the state can pursue including tax credits. For example, Pennsylvania has a state Historic Tax Credit. However, it will sunset at the end of 2020. This is a policy that architects are uniquely positioned to advocate for and AIA PA plans to fight to preserve and improve upon the existing legislation.

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* 16. Should AIA PA and its local partners start compiling watchlists of specific historic properties in the Commonwealth with the goal of saving those properties?

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* 17. Do you support extending the sunset date of the State Historic Tax Credit to 2030, increasing the program's annual cap to $30M, capping individual projects at $2.5M, and offering a higher credit to workforce housing?

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* 18. Do you support AIA Pennsylvania and local chapters becoming a driving force in preserving Pennsylvania’s historic buildings?

Prosperity and Business
According to data from AIA National, over 70% of firms in Pennsylvania qualify as "small firms". AIA Pennsylvania wants to make sure that the owners of firms small and large are benefiting from policies that promote small business and prosperity. AIA Pennsylvania partners with the National Federation of Independent Business and the PA Chamber on most of these issues. Currently, Pennsylvania small businesses are at a disadvantage because its tax laws act as a barrier to the kind of growth and investment spurred by national trends. 

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* 19. Do you work on single-family residential projects? What legislative initiatives or changes would you like to see implemented regarding your small business?

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* 20. What are the biggest regulatory, legal, or policy issues that impact the business of your architecture firm?

Energy and the Environment

The AIA Pennsylvania Subcommittee on the Environment was re-established in 2018.  This subcommittee hopes to lead or help lead the discussion in Pennsylvania regarding sustainability in the built environment and advocate for the awareness, recognition and enabling of legislation that encourages the principles of resource efficiency, renewable energy, integrated design, life cycle thinking, durability, resiliency, walkable communities and healthy interiors. The goal is to promote green building and sustainability efforts, events, conferences, successful projects and tours across the Commonwealth.

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* 21. What "low-hanging fruit" policies should AIA Pennsylvania pursue to encourage a more sustainable built environment in the Commonwealth? For example, asking the Governor to issue an Executive Order encouraging one Net-Zero building per year.

Legal Reform

AIA Pennsylvania established a Legal Reform Subcommittee comprised of architects, engineers, and attorneys to assess liability issues and work toward reasonable tort and other legal reforms for design professionals.

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* 22. Do you support a reduction in the Statute of Repose from 12 year to 6 years upon substantial completion for construction in Pennsylvania

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* 23. Do you support expanding the Mechanic's Lien law in Pennsylvania to make it easier for Architects and Engineers to utilize?

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* 24. What other legal reforms or reductions in liability could help you in your practice?

Procurement
AIA Pennsylvania meets with the Department of General Services quarterly to discuss their modernization and how to engage design professionals to submit for public work. 

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* 25. Does your firm do public work?

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* 26. Do you support the modernization of Pennsylvania's procurement code to eliminate the Separations Act?

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* 27. Do you support including other delivery methods like design-build, CM at Risk, and Design- bid- build into our procurement code? Why or Why not?

AIA Pennsylvania Committees and Subcommittees

AIA Pennsylvania has a robust committee structure and we are always looking for members to lend their subject matter expertise to these conversations. The time commitment is minimal but the impact is significant. Subcommittees generally meet bi-monthly via conference call. Members are asked to provide comments on pending legislation and assist with drafting position papers.

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* 28. Lastly, we are as strong as our membership. We need specific expertise on issues. Would you be interested in joining any of the following Committees, Subcommittees or Task Forces to help our efforts?

  I'm Interested
Licensure Committee- Reviews Licensure complaints and activity of the board. 
Education/School Construction Subcommittee- Reviews PlanCon revisions and issues related to the K-12 construction industry. 
Subcommittee on the Environment- Reviews legislative and policy issues related to sustainability and a greener environment. 
DGS & Procurement Workgroup- Meets with DGS quarterly and reviews Procurement Code revisions and amendments. 
Interior Design Taskforce- Monitors activity of interior design groups seeking regulation. 
Historic Preservation Taskforce- Engaged in the upcoming changes to the Historic Tax Credit in Pennsylvania. 
Legal Reform Subcommittee- Reviews liability issues related to architects including the Statute of Repose & Mechanic's Lien.
Public-Private Partnership Subcommittee- Reviews P3 practices in other areas and how they can be implemented in Pennsylvania. 
Government Affairs Committee- Oversees the work of all subcommittees and makes final recommendations to the Board on Government Affairs positions and strategy. 

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* 29. Do you have any other comments, questions, or concerns?

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