ASSEMBLY CONSUMER AFFAIRS AND REGULATED PROFESSIONS COMMITTEE

STATEMENT TO

ASSEMBLY, No. 2174

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

DATED: AUGUST 15, 1996

      The Assembly Consumer Affairs and Regulated Professions Committee reports favorably Assembly Bill No. 2174.

      This bill requires architects to complete continuing education requirements as a condition of biennial license renewal. The bill provides that the New Jersey State Board of Architects shall: establish standards for continuing education, including subject matter and content of courses of study, and the number and type of continuing education credits required of a licensee as a condition of biennial license renewal; recognize the American Institute of Architects and the National Council of Architecture Registration Boards as certified record keeping services and the American Institute of Architects, the National Council of Architecture Registration Boards and the School of Architecture at the New Jersey Institute of Technology as certified providers of continuing education and accredit other equivalent educational programs; and approve only those continuing education programs which are available to all architects in this State on a reasonable nondiscriminatory basis. Waivers of these continuing education requirements may be granted by the board on an individual basis due to hardship. This bill also gives the board authority to establish fees for the administration of continuing education requirements.