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Notice of Public Rulemaking Hearing for the
Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners
Pursuant to Tenn. Code Ann. § 4-3-1306(d), you are receiving this notice because you have elected to receive notification by e-mail of certain changes or potential changes to the law applicable to your profession.
A copy of the rules to be considered at the rulemaking hearing can be viewed online at:
https://publications.tnsosfiles.com/rules_filings/06-23-20.pdf
The Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners (“Board”) will be conducting a Rulemaking Hearing on Thursday, August 6, 2020 at 11:00 A.M. electronically via WebEx. Pursuant to the Tennessee Open Meetings Act (Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-44-101, et seq.), the above-referenced hearing is open to the public. If you have any comments regarding the rules, you may either submit your written comments in advance of the Rulemaking Hearing to Maria P. Bush, Associate Counsel at (615) 741-3072, electronically at Maria.P.Bush@tn.gov, or appear virtually at the rulemaking hearing to make your comments on the record. Those who wish to comment on this rule change at the meeting can email their name in advance to Maria.P.Bush@tn.gov. Alternatively, you may utilize the chat function during the meeting to be recognized on record.
There are two methods by which you may join:
Method 1: You may join by going to this link:
• https://tngov.webex.com/webappng/sites/tngov/meeting/download/0a577fff2f374a2aadf59bf244a3e4e2?siteurl=tngov&MTID=m884cd42ffc335dd9ac0b8a35e920b00c
• Meeting number (access code): 161 138 1754
• Meeting password: tyHw33dxvn9
Method 2: Join by phone:
• Dial in: 1-415-655-0003
• Access code: 161 138 1754
These rules provide detail regarding the continuing education requirements for registered architects, engineers, landscape architects, and interior designers including, but not limited to a change in the number of Professional Development Hours (PDHs) required, a change in the types of acceptable PDHs, and a change to allow PDHs to be acquired at any location. These rules also add a hardship waiver which provides an exemption or extension of PDHs for extenuating circumstances.
This rule allows architects to earn twelve (12) PDHs per calendar year or twenty-four (24) per biennial cycle and requires that all hours be in Health, Safety, and Welfare. This change brings the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners into compliance with the NCARB Model Rules and the majority of architectural registration boards, which currently require twelve (12) hours per calendar year. In addition, this rule amendment will phase out carryover hours after the year 2023.
The primary goal of the proposed changes is to bring the continuing education rules for the Tennessee Board of Architectural and Engineering Examiners into greater conformity with the rules of other states to facilitate interstate practice and to provide registrants with greater flexibility in obtaining their continuing education hours. Carry over hours are not allowed by the NCARB and CLARB Model Rules. Consequently, many states do not allow carry over hours. The proposed rule changes will provide engineers and landscape architects with the option of obtaining hours on a calendar-year basis—an option that is not currently available to licensees in Tennessee. NCARB, NCEES, and CLARB are all encouraging states to adopt calendar-year language to assist licensees who are registered in multiple states.
The “structured educational activities” language used in this rule amendment is adopted from the NCARB Model Rules. Due to the overlap and close association between the architecture and interior design professions, the Continuing Education Committee opted to use similar language for the interior designers. The model rules for the engineers and landscape architects do not use this terminology and thus do not include the “structured educational activities” requirement.
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