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Enrolled SB 54
LAWS OF ALASKA
2025
Source Chapter No.
CSSSSB 54(FIN) _______
AN ACT
Relating to registered interior designers and interior design; relating to project costs for the
construction, enlargement, or imp rovement of airports; extendin g the termination date of the
State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors; relating to the
State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors; establishing
requirements for the practice of registered interior design; re lating to the practice of
architecture, engineering, land surveying, landscape architectu re, and registered interior
design; relating to the scope of the certification requirements for architects, engineers, land
surveyors, landscape architects, and registered interior design ers; relating to immunity for
design professionals; relating to the cost of construction for recreation centers; relating to
liens for labor or materials furn ished; relating to the procure ment of landscape architectural
and interior design services; re lating to the cost of construct ion of safe water and hygienic
sewage disposal facilities in villages; and providing for an effective date.
_______________
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
THE ACT FOLLOWS ON PAGE 1
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AN ACT
Relating to registered interior designers and interior design; relating to project costs for the 1
construction, enlargement, or imp rovement of airports; extendin g the termination date of the 2
State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors; relating to the 3
State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, and Land Surveyors; establishing 4
requirements for the practice of registered interior design; re lating to the practice of 5
architecture, engineering, land surveying, landscape architectu re, and registered interior 6
design; relating to the scope of the certification requirements for architects, engineers, land 7
surveyors, landscape architects, and registered interior design ers; relating to immunity for 8
design professionals; relating to the cost of construction for recreation centers; relating to 9
liens for labor or materials furn ished; relating to the procure ment of landscape architectural 10
and interior design services; re lating to the cost of construct ion of safe water and hygienic 11
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sewage disposal facilities in villages; and providing for an effective date. 1
_______________ 2
* Section 1. AS 02.15.155 is amended to read: 3
Sec. 02.15.155. Project costs defined. In AS 02.15.120 - 02.15.155, "project 4
costs" includes, in addition to costs directly related to the p roject, the sum total of all 5
costs of financing and carrying out the project, including [, BUT NOT LIMITED TO,] 6
the costs of all necessary studies, surveys, plans and specific ations, architectural, 7
engineering, land surveying, landscape architectural, registered interior design, or 8
other special services, acquis ition of real property, site prep aration and development, 9
purchase, construction, reconstruc tion and improvement of real property, and the 10
acquisition of machinery and equipment as may be necessary in c onnection with the 11
project; an allocable portion of the administrative and operati ng expenses of the 12
grantee; the cost of financing the project, including interest on bonds issued to finance 13
the project; and the cost of other items, including any indemni ty and surety bonds and 14
premiums on insurance, legal fees, fees and expenses of trustee s, depositaries, 15
financial advisors, and paying agents for the bonds issued as t he issuer considers 16
necessary. 17
* Sec. 2. AS 08.03.010(c)(3) is amended to read: 18
(3) State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, and L a n d 19
Surveyors (AS 08.48.011) - June 30, 2033 [2025]; 20
* Sec. 3. AS 08.48.011(b) is amended to read: 21
(b) The board consists of 13 [11] members appointed by the governor having 22
the qualifications as set out in AS 08.48.031. The board consists of 23
(1) two civil engineers; 24
(2) [,] two land surveyors; 25
(3) [,] one mining, petroleum, or chemical engineer; 26
(4) [,] one electrical engineer; 27
(5) one [OR] mechanical engineer; 28
(6) [,] one engineer from another branch of the profession of 29
engineering; 30
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(7) [,] two architects; 1
(8) one interior designer; 2
(9) [,] one landscape architect; [,] and 3
(10) one public member. 4
* Sec. 4. AS 08.48.011(b), as amended by sec. 3 of this Act, is amended to read: 5
(b) The board consists of 13 members appointed by the governor having the 6
qualifications as set out in AS 08.48.031. The board consists of 7
(1) two civil engineers; 8
(2) two land surveyors; 9
(3) one mining, petroleum, or chemical engineer; 10
(4) one electrical engineer; 11
(5) one mechanical engineer; 12
(6) one engineer from another branch of the profession of engineering; 13
(7) two architects; 14
(8) one registered interior designer; 15
(9) one landscape architect; and 16
(10) one public member. 17
* Sec. 5. AS 08.48.055(b) is amended to read: 18
(b) The executive administrator of the board shall perform duties as prescribed 19
by the board, including the review and approval of comity applications. The executive 20
administrator is entitled to re ceive a monthly salary equal to a step in Range 23 21
on the salary schedule set out in AS 39.27.011(a). 22
* Sec. 6. AS 08.48.071(f) is amended to read: 23
(f) The department shall assemble statistics relating to the p erformance of its 24
staff and the performance of the board, including 25
(1) the number of architects, engineers, land surveyors, [AND] 26
landscape architects , and registered interior designers registered over a five-year 27
period; 28
(2) the rate of passage of examinations required by the board; 29
(3) the number of applicants for registration over a five-year period; 30
(4) an account of registration fees collected under AS 08.01.065; 31
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(5) a measure of the correspondence workload of staff. 1
* Sec. 7. AS 08.48.101 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 2
(c) The board shall adopt regulations establishing 3
(1) a definition of "interior design" for the purposes of this chapter; a 4
person may practice interior design without registration as a r egistered interior 5
designer while not using the title "registered interior designer"; and 6
(2) the type of documents that a registered interior designer is 7
authorized to sign and stamp w ith an official seal under AS 08. 48.221 for the purpose 8
of obtaining requisite permits for construction projects. 9
* Sec. 8. AS 08.48.111 is amended to read: 10
Sec. 08.48.111. Power to revoke, sus pend, or reissue certificat e. The board 11
may suspend, refuse to renew, or revoke the certificate of or r eprimand a registrant, 12
corporation, limited liability co mpany, limited liability partn ership, or limited 13
partnership who is found guilty of [(1)] fraud or deceit in obt aining a certificate; [(2)] 14
gross negligence, incompetence, or misconduct in the practice o f architecture, 15
engineering, land surveying, [OR] landscape architecture , or registered interior 16
design; or [(3)] a violation of this chapter, a regulation adopted un der this chapter, or 17
the code of ethics or professi onal conduct as adopted by the bo ard. [THE CODE OF 18
ETHICS OR PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT SHALL BE DISTRIBUTED IN 19
WRITING TO EVERY REGISTRANT AND APPLICANT FOR REGISTRATION 20
UNDER THIS CHAPTER. THIS PUBLICATION AND DISTRIBUTION OF THE 21
CODE OF ETHICS OR PROFESSIONAL CONDUCT CONSTITUTES DUE 22
NOTICE TO ALL REGISTRANTS.] The board may revise and amend its code and, 23
upon doing so, shall immediately notify each registrant in writ ing of the revisions or 24
amendments. The board may, upon petition of the registrant, cor poration, limited 25
liability company, limited liability partnership, or limited pa rtnership, reissue a 26
certificate if a majority of the members of the board vote in favor of the reissuance. 27
* Sec. 9. AS 08.48.171 is amended to read: 28
Sec. 08.48.171. General requirements and qualifications for reg istration. 29
An applicant for registration as an architect, engineer, land s urveyor, [OR] landscape 30
architect, or registered interior designer must be of good character and reputation 31
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and shall submit evidence satisfactory to the board of the appl icant's education, 1
training, and experience. 2
* Sec. 10. AS 08.48.181 is amended to read: 3
Sec. 08.48.181. Registration upon examination. Except as provided in 4
AS 08.48.191, for registration as a p rofessional architect, pro fessional engineer, 5
professional land surveyor, [O R] professional landscape archite ct, or registered 6
interior designer, a person shall be examined in this state in accordance with th e 7
regulations of procedure and st andards adopted by the board und er AS 44.62 8
(Administrative Procedure Act). The procedure and standards sha ll at least meet the 9
requirements adopted by recogniz ed national examining councils for these 10
professions. 11
* Sec. 11. AS 08.48.191 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 12
(e) A person holding a certificate of registration authorizing the person to 13
practice registered interior design in a state, territory, or p ossession of the United 14
States, the District of Columbia , or a foreign country that, in the opinion of the board, 15
meets the requirements of this ch apter, based on verified evide nce, may, upon 16
application, be registered in accordance with the regulations of the board. 17
* Sec. 12. AS 08.48.201(a) is amended to read: 18
(a) Application for registration as a professional architect, a professional 19
engineer, a professional land su rveyor, [OR] a professional lan dscape architect, or a 20
registered interior designer shall be submitted in the manner prescribed by the 21
board. 22
* Sec. 13. AS 08.48.211(b) is amended to read: 23
(b) The certificate of registration is prima facie evidence th at the person 24
named in it is entitled to all rights and privileges of a profe ssional architect, 25
professional engineer, professi onal land surveyor, [OR] profess ional landscape 26
architect, or registered interior designer while the certificate remains unrevoked or 27
unexpired. 28
* Sec. 14. AS 08.48.215(a) is amended to read: 29
(a) On retiring from practice a nd payment of an appropriate on e-time fee, an 30
individual who is registered as a professional architect, engin eer, land surveyor, 31
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or landscape architect and [A REGISTRANT] in good standing with the board may 1
apply for the conversion of a certificate of registration to a retired status registration. 2
The registrant may not practice architecture, engineering, land surveying, or landscape 3
architecture in the state. A retired status registration is val id for the life of the 4
registration holder and does not require renewal. 5
* Sec. 15. AS 08.48 is amended by adding a new section to read: 6
Sec. 08.48.218. Untitled pract ice of interior design. This chapter does not 7
prohibit the practice of interior design by a person who is not registered as a registered 8
interior designer if the person does not use the title "registered interior designer." 9
* Sec. 16. AS 08.48.221(a) is amended to read: 10
(a) Each registrant may obtain a seal of the design authorized by the board, 11
bearing the registrant's name, registration number, and the app ropriate legend for 12
architect, engineer, land surveyor, [OR] landscape architect , or registered interior 13
designer. When a registrant issues final drawings, specifications, surv eys, plats, 14
plates, reports, or similar documents, the registrant shall stamp the documents with the 15
seal and sign the seal. The board shall adopt regulations gover ning the use of seals by 16
the registrant. An architect, engineer, land surveyor, [OR] lan dscape architect , or 17
registered interior designer may not affix or permit a seal and signature to be affixed 18
t o a n i n s t r u m e n t a f t e r t h e e x p i r a t i o n o f a c e r t i f i c a t e o r f o r the purpose of aiding or 19
abetting another person to evade or attempt to evade a provisio n of this chapter. The 20
registrant, by sealing and signing the document, certifies that the document was 21
prepared by or under the registrant's responsible charge and is within the registrant's 22
field of practice or is design work of minor importance. 23
* Sec. 17. AS 08.48.241(a) is amended to read: 24
(a) This chapter does not pre vent a corporation, limited liabi lity company, 25
limited liability partnership, or limited partnership from offe ring architectural, 26
engineering, land surveying, [OR] landscape architectural , or registered interior 27
design services; however, the corporation, limited liability company, limited liability 28
partnership, or limited partnership shall file with the board 29
(1) an application for a certificate of authorization on a for m to be 30
prescribed by the board and cont aining information required to enable the board to 31
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determine whether the corpor ation, limited liability company, l imited liability 1
partnership, or limited partnershi p is qualified in accordance with the provisions of 2
this chapter to offer to practice architecture, engineering, la nd surveying, [OR] 3
landscape architecture, or registered interior design in this state; 4
(2) a certified copy of a resolution of the board of directors o f t h e 5
corporation, the managing membe rs or manager of the limited lia bility company, the 6
general partners of a limited liability partnership, or the gen eral partners of a limited 7
partnership designating persons holding certificates of registr ation under this chapter 8
as responsible for the practice of architecture, engineering, l and surveying, [OR] 9
landscape architecture , or registered interior design by the corporation, limited 10
liability company, limited liability partnership, or limited pa rtnership in this state and 11
providing that full authority to make all final architectural, engineering, land 12
surveying, [OR] landscape architectural , or registered interior design decisions on 13
behalf of the corporation, limite d liability company, limited l iability partnership, or 14
limited partnership with respect to work performed by the corporation, limited liability 15
company, limited liability partnership, or limited partnership in this state is granted by 16
the board of directors of the c orporation, the managing members or manager of the 17
limited liability company, the general partners of the limited liability partnership, or 18
the general partners of the limited partnership to the persons designated in the 19
resolution; however, the filing of this resolution does not rel ieve the corporation, 20
limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or li mited partnership of any 21
responsibility or liability imposed on it by law or by contract; 22
(3) a designation in writing setting out the name of one or mo re 23
persons holding certificates of registration under this chapter who are in responsible 24
charge of each major branch of the architectural, engineering, land surveying, [OR] 25
landscape architectural , or registered interior design activities in which the 26
corporation, limited liability co mpany, limited liability partn ership, or limited 27
partnership specializes in this state; if a change is made in t he person in responsible 28
charge of a major branch of the architectural, engineering, lan d surveying, [OR] 29
landscape architectural, or registered interior design activities, the change shall be 30
designated in writing and filed with the board within 30 days after the effective date of 31
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the change. 1
* Sec. 18. AS 08.48.241(b) is amended to read: 2
(b) Upon filing with the board the application for certificate of authorization, 3
certified copy of resolution, a ffidavit, and designation of per sons specified in this 4
section, the board shall, subject t o (c) of this section, issue to the corporation, limited 5
liability company, limited liability partnership, or limited pa rtnership a certificate of 6
authorization to practice architecture, engineering, land surve ying, [OR] landscape 7
architecture, or registered interior design in this state upon a determination by the 8
board that 9
(1) the bylaws of the corpora tion, the articles of organizatio n or 10
operating agreement of the limited liability company, the partn ership agreement of the 11
limited liability partnership, or the partnership agreement of the limited partnership 12
contain provisions that all arch itectural, engineering, land su rveying, [OR] landscape 13
architectural, or registered interior design decisions pertaining to architectural, 14
engineering, land surveying, [OR] landscape architectural , or registered interior 15
design activities in this state will be made by the specified archite ct, engineer, land 16
surveyor, [OR] landscape architect , or registered interior designer in responsible 17
charge, or other registered architects, engineers, land surveyo rs, [OR] landscape 18
architects, or registered interior designers under the direction or supervision of the 19
architect, engineer, land surveyor, [OR] landscape architect , or registered interior 20
designer in responsible charge; 21
(2) the application for certific ate of authorization states th e type of 22
architecture, engineering, land surveying, [OR] landscape archi tecture, or registered 23
interior design practiced or to be practiced b y the corporation, limited liabi lity 24
company, limited liability partnership, or limited partnership; 25
(3) the applicant corporati on, limited liability company, limi ted 26
liability partnership, or limited partnership has the ability t o provide architectural, 27
engineering, land surveying, [OR] landscape architectural , or registered interior 28
design services; 29
(4) the application for certific ate of authorization states th e 30
professional records of the des ignated person who is in respons ible charge of each 31
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major branch of architectural, engineering, land surveying, [OR ] landscape 1
architectural, or registered interior design activities in which the corporation, limited 2
liability company, limited liability partnership, or limited partnership specializes; 3
(5) the application for certificate of authorization states the experience, 4
if any, of the corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or 5
limited partnership in furnishing architectural, engineering, l and surveying, [OR] 6
landscape architectural, or registered interior design services during the preceding 7
five-year period; 8
(6) the applicant corporati on, limited liability company, limi ted 9
liability partnership, or limited partnership meets other requi rements related to 10
professional competence in the furnishing of architectural, eng ineering, land 11
surveying, [OR] landscape architectural , or registered interior design services as 12
may be adopted by the board in furtherance of the objectives an d provisions of this 13
chapter. 14
* Sec. 19. AS 08.48.241(d) is amended to read: 15
(d) The certificate of authorization must specify the major br anches of 16
architecture, engineering, land surveying, [OR] landscape archi tecture, or registered 17
interior design of which the corporation, limited liability company, limited l iability 18
partnership, or limited partnership has designated a person in responsible charge as 19
provided in this section. The ce rtificate of authorization shal l be conspicuously 20
displayed in the place of business of the corporation, limited liability company, limited 21
liability partnership, or limited partnership, together with th e names of persons 22
designated as being in responsible charge of the professional activities. 23
* Sec. 20. AS 08.48.241(e) is amended to read: 24
(e) If a corporation, limited liability company, limited liabi lity partnership, or 25
limited partnership that is organized solely by [EITHER] a group of architects, a group 26
of engineers, a group of land surveyors, [OR] a group of landsc ape architects , or a 27
group of registered interior designers , each holding a certificate of registration 28
under this chapter, applies for a certificate of authorization, the board may, in its 29
discretion, grant a certificate of authorization to the corpora tion, limited liability 30
company, limited liability partnership, or limited partnership based on a review of the 31
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professional records of the inc orporators of the corporation, o rganizers of the limited 1
liability company, partners who formed the limited liability pa rtnership, or partners 2
who formed the limited partnershi p in place of the required qua lifications set out in 3
this section. If the ownership o f the corporation is altered, t he membership of the 4
limited liability company is altered, the partners of the limit ed liability partnership 5
change, or the general partners of the limited partnership chan ge, the corporation, 6
limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or li mited partnership shall 7
apply for a revised certificate of authorization, based on the professional records of the 8
owners of the corporation, the members of the limited liability company, the partners 9
of the limited liability partnership, or the general partners o f the limited partnership, if 10
exclusively architects, engineers, land surveyors, [OR] landsca pe architects , or 11
registered interior designers, or otherwise under the qualifications required by (b)(1) 12
- (4) of this section. 13
* Sec. 21. AS 08.48.241(f) is amended to read: 14
(f) A corporation, limited liability company, limited liabilit y partnership, or 15
limited partnership authorized to offer architectural, engineering, land surveying, [OR] 16
landscape architectural , or registered interior design services under this chapter, 17
together with its directors, officers, managing members, manage r, and partners for 18
their own individual acts, is responsible to the same degree as t h e d e s i g n a t e d 19
individual registrant, and shall conduct its business without misconduct or malpractice 20
in the practice of architecture, engineering, land surveying, [ OR] landscape 21
architecture, or registered interior design as defined in this chapter. 22
* Sec. 22. AS 08.48.251 is amended to read: 23
Sec. 08.48.251. Certain partnerships. This chapter does not prevent the 24
practice of architecture, engineering, land surveying, [OR] lan dscape architecture, or 25
registered interior design by a partnership if all of the members of the partnership 26
are registrants under this chapter. In this section, "partnersh ip" does not include a 27
limited liability partnership or a limited partnership. 28
* Sec. 23. AS 08.48.281 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 29
(c) A person may not use a title tending to convey the impress ion that the 30
person is a "registered interior designer" while offering to pr actice or practicing 31
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interior design, as defined in regulation by the board, unless the person has been 1
registered or authorized under this chapter. 2
* Sec. 24. AS 08.48.291 is amended to read: 3
Sec. 08.48.291. Violations and penalties. A person who practices or offers to 4
practice architecture, engineering, land surveying, [OR] landsc ape architecture , or 5
registered interior design in the state without being registered or authorized to 6
practice in accordance with the p rovisions of this chapter, or a person presenting or 7
attempting to use the certificate or the seal of another, or a person who gives false or 8
forged evidence of any kind to the board or to a member of the board in obtaining or 9
attempting to obtain a certificate, or a person who impersonate s a registrant, or a 10
person who uses or attempts to use an expired or revoked or non existent certificate, 11
knowing of the certificate's status, or a person who falsely cl aims to be registered and 12
authorized to practice under this chapter, or a person who viol ates any of the 13
provisions of this chapter, is g uilty of a misdemeanor and upon conviction is 14
punishable by a fine of not more than $10,000, or by imprisonme nt for not more than 15
one year, or by both. 16
* Sec. 25. AS 08.48.295(a) is amended to read: 17
(a) In addition to any other pr ovision of law, if a person pra ctices or offers to 18
practice architecture, engineering, [OR] land surveying, or registered interior design 19
in the state without being regis tered or authorized to practice in accordance with the 20
provisions of this chapter, the board may enter an order levying a civil penalty. 21
* Sec. 26. AS 08.48.311 is amended to read: 22
Sec. 08.48.311. Rights not transferable. The right to engage in the practice of 23
architecture, engineering, land surveying, [OR] landscape archi tecture, or registered 24
interior design is considered a personal and individual right, based on the 25
qualifications of the individual as evidenced by the individual 's certificate of 26
registration, which is not transferable. 27
* Sec. 27. AS 08.48.321 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 28
(b) A person uses a title tending to convey the impression tha t the person is a 29
"registered interior designer" while offering to practice or pr acticing interior design if 30
the person by verbal claim, sign, advertisement, letterhead, ca rd, or other means 31
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represents to be a registered in terior designer or through the use of some other title 1
implies that the person is a registered interior designer when offering to practice or 2
practicing interior design. 3
* Sec. 28. AS 08.48.331(a) is amended to read: 4
(a) This chapter does not apply to 5
(1) a contractor performing work designed by a professional ar chitect, 6
engineer, or landscape architect or the supervision of the cons truction of the work as a 7
supervisor or superintendent for a contractor; 8
(2) workers in building trades crafts, earthwork, grounds keep ing, or 9
nursery operations, and superint endents, supervisors, or inspec tors in the performance 10
of their customary duties; 11
(3) an officer or employee of t he United States government pra cticing 12
architecture, engineering, land surveying, or landscape archite cture as required by the 13
person's official capacity; 14
(4) an employee or a subordinate of a registrant if the work o r service 15
is done under the direct supervision of a registrant; 16
(5) associates, consultants, or specialists retained by a regi strant, [A] 17
partnership of registered indivi duals, [A] corporation, [A] lim ited liability company, 18
[A] limited liability partnership, or [A] limited partnership a uthorized to practice 19
architecture, engineering, land surveying, or landscape archite cture under this chapter, 20
in the performance of professiona l services if responsible char ge of the work remains 21
with the registrant, the partnership, or a designated represent ative of the corporation, 22
limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or limited partnership; 23
(6) a person preparing drawings or specifications for 24
(A) a building for the person's own use and occupancy as a 25
single family residence and related site work for that building; 26
(B) farm or ranch buildings and their grounds unless the publi c 27
health, safety, or welfare is involved; 28
(C) a building that is intended to be used only as a residence by 29
not more than 30
(i) four families and that is not more than two stories 31
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high and the grounds of the building; or 1
(ii) two families and that is not more than three stories 2
high and the grounds of the building, if the building is locate d in a 3
municipality that has adopted a building or residential code th at applies 4
to the building and if the building complies with the building or 5
residential code; 6
(D) a garage, workshop, or similar building that contains less 7
than 2,000 square feet of floor space to be used for a private noncommercial 8
purpose and the grounds of the building; 9
(7) a specialty contractor licensed under AS 08.18 while engag ed in 10
the business of construction cont racting for work designed by a n architect, engineer, 11
or landscape architect that is within the specialty to be perfo rmed or supervised by the 12
specialty contractor, or a contractor preparing shop or field d rawings for work that the 13
specialty contractor has contracted to perform; 14
(8) a person furnishing drawing s, specifications, instruments of 15
service, or other data for alterations or repairs to a building or its grounds that do not 16
change or affect the structural system or the safety of the building, or that do not affect 17
the public health, safety, or welfare; 18
(9) a person who is employed by a postsecondary educational 19
institution to teach engineering, architectural, or landscape a rchitectural courses; in 20
this paragraph, "postsecondary educational institution" has the meaning given in 21
AS 14.48.210; 22
(10) an officer or employee of a n individual, firm, partnershi p, 23
association, utility, corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, 24
or limited partnership, who practices engineering, architecture , land surveying, or 25
landscape architecture involved in the operation of the employe r's business only [, 26
AND FURTHER] if neither the employee nor the employer offers en gineering, 27
architecture, land surveying, or landscape architecture service s to the public; 28
exclusions under this paragraph do not apply to buildings or st ructures whose primary 29
use is public occupancy; 30
(11) a person while involved in revegetation, restoration, rec lamation, 31
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rehabilitation, or erosion control for disturbed land that the board determines does not 1
affect the public health, safety, or welfare; 2
(12) a person while maintaining or directing the placement of plant 3
material that the board determines does not affect the public health, safety, or welfare; 4
(13) an employee, officer, or agent of a regulatory agency of the state 5
or a municipality when reviewing drawings and specifications for compliance with the 6
building codes of the state or a municipality if the drawings a nd specifications have 7
been sealed and signed by an architect, engineer, land surveyor , or landscape architect 8
or the preparation of the drawings and specifications is exempt under this section from 9
the requirements of this chapter; in this paragraph, "building codes" includes codes 10
relating to building, mechanical , plumbing, elect rical, fire sa fety standards, and 11
zoning; 12
(14) a person who is designing fire protection systems and is 13
authorized by the Department of Public Safety to design fire protection systems; 14
(15) a person who is 15
(A) authorized to construct, install, or modify a 16
conventional onsite wastewater system by the Department of 17
Environmental Conservation under AS 46.03.100; and 18
(B) constructing, installing, or modifying a conventional 19
onsite wastewater system that serves a commercial facility and has a 20
design flow of less than 500 gallons of wastewater a day. 21
* Sec. 29. AS 08.48.331(a), as amended by sec. 28 of this Act, is amended to read: 22
(a) This chapter does not apply to 23
(1) a contractor performing work designed by a professional ar chitect, 24
engineer, or landscape architect or the supervision of the cons truction of the work as a 25
supervisor or superintendent for a contractor; 26
(2) workers in building trades crafts, earthwork, grounds keep ing, or 27
nursery operations, and superint endents, supervisors, or inspec tors in the performance 28
of their customary duties; 29
(3) an officer or employee of t he United States government pra cticing 30
architecture, engineering, land surveying, or landscape archite cture as required by the 31
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person's official capacity; 1
(4) an employee or a subordinate of a registrant if the work o r service 2
is done under the direct supervision of a registrant; 3
(5) associates, consultants, or specialists retained by a regi strant, 4
partnership of registered i ndividuals, corporation, limited lia bility company, limited 5
liability partnership, or limited partnership authorized to pra ctice architecture, 6
engineering, land surveying, or landscape architecture under th is chapter, in the 7
performance of professional services if responsible charge of t he work remains with 8
the registrant, the partnership, or a designated representative of the corporation, 9
limited liability company, limited liability partnership, or limited partnership; 10
(6) a person preparing drawings or specifications for 11
(A) a building for the person's own use and occupancy as a 12
single family residence and related site work for that building; 13
(B) farm or ranch buildings and their grounds unless the publi c 14
health, safety, or welfare is involved; 15
(C) a building that is intended to be used only as a residence by 16
not more than 17
(i) four families and that is not more than two stories 18
high and the grounds of the building; or 19
(ii) two families and that is not more than three stories 20
high and the grounds of the building, if the building is locate d in a 21
municipality that has adopted a building or residential code th at applies 22
to the building and if the building complies with the building or 23
residential code; 24
(D) a garage, workshop, or similar building that contains less 25
than 2,000 square feet of floor space to be used for a private noncommercial 26
purpose and the grounds of the building; 27
(7) a specialty contractor licensed under AS 08.18 while engag ed in 28
the business of construction cont racting for work designed by a n architect, engineer, 29
or landscape architect that is within the specialty to be perfo rmed or supervised by the 30
specialty contractor, or a contractor preparing shop or field d rawings for work that the 31
Enrolled SB 54 -16-
specialty contractor has contracted to perform; 1
(8) a person furnishing drawing s, specifications, instruments of 2
service, or other data for alterations or repairs to a building or its grounds that do not 3
change or affect the structural system or the safety of the building, or that do not affect 4
the public health, safety, or welfare; 5
(9) a person who is employed by a postsecondary educational 6
institution to teach engineering, architectural, or landscape a rchitectural courses; in 7
this paragraph, "postsecondary educational institution" has the meaning given in 8
AS 14.48.210; 9
(10) an officer or employee of a n individual, firm, partnershi p, 10
association, utility, corporation, limited liability company, limited liability partnership, 11
or limited partnership, who practices engineering, architecture , land surveying, or 12
landscape architecture involved in the operation of the employe r's business only if 13
neither the employee nor the employer offers engineering, archi tecture, land 14
surveying, or landscape architecture services to the public; ex clusions under this 15
paragraph do not apply to an officer or employee 16
(A) practicing engineering, ar chitecture, land surveying, or 17
landscape architecture on buildings or structures whose primary use is public 18
occupancy; or 19
(B) of a utility that owns, operates, manages, or controls a 20
pipeline that furnishes by transmission or distributes natural or 21
manufactured gas to the public for compensation and who is prac ticing 22
engineering on the facilities of t he pipeline that operate at a pressure 23
greater than 100 pounds per squa re inch gauge in one of the fol lowing 24
manners: 25
(i) the installation of a new district pressure 26
regulator station, compressor station, or gate station; 27
( i i ) t h e r e c o n f i g u r a t i o n o r p h y s i c a l c h a n g e o f a 28
district pressure regulator station, compressor station, or gat e 29
station that alters or modifies the configuration or overpressu re 30
protection of equipment; in this sub-subparagraph, 31
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"reconfiguration or physical change" does not include a routine 1
operating adjustment or similar replacement; or 2
(iii) the installation, uprating, repair by 3
replacement, or abandonment of the pipeline; 4
(11) a person while involved in revegetation, restoration, rec lamation, 5
rehabilitation, or erosion control for disturbed land that the board determines does not 6
affect the public health, safety, or welfare; 7
(12) a person while maintaining or directing the placement of plant 8
material that the board determines does not affect the public health, safety, or welfare; 9
(13) an employee, officer, or agent of a regulatory agency of the state 10
or a municipality when reviewing drawings and specifications for compliance with the 11
building codes of the state or a municipality if the drawings a nd specifications have 12
been sealed and signed by an architect, engineer, land surveyor , or landscape architect 13
or the preparation of the drawings and specifications is exempt under this section from 14
the requirements of this chapter; in this paragraph, "building codes" includes codes 15
relating to building, mechanical , plumbing, elect rical, fire sa fety standards, and 16
zoning; 17
(14) a person who is designing fire protection systems and is 18
authorized by the Department of Public Safety to design fire protection systems; 19
(15) a person who is 20
(A) authorized to construct, i nstall, or modify a conventional 21
onsite wastewater system by the Department of Environmental Con servation 22
under AS 46.03.100; and 23
(B) constructing, installing, or modifying a conventional onsi te 24
wastewater system that serves a commercial facility and has a d esign flow of 25
less than 500 gallons of wastewater a day. 26
* Sec. 30. AS 08.48.331 is amended by adding new subsections to read: 27
(c) The Department of Environm ental Conservation may adopt reg ulations 28
limiting the locations in the state in which (a)(15) of this section applies. 29
(d) Notwithstanding (a)(10)(B) of this section, this chapter d oes not apply to 30
an officer or employee of a utility that owns, operates, manage s, or controls a pipeline 31
Enrolled SB 54 -18-
that furnishes by transmission or distributes natural or manufa ctured gas to the public 1
for compensation and who is practicing engineering in an emerge ncy on the facilities 2
of the pipeline that operate a t a pressure greater than 100 pou nds per square inch 3
gauge. The utility shall notify the Regulatory Commission of Al aska when an officer 4
or employee of the utility practices engineering in an emergency under this subsection. 5
* Sec. 31. AS 08.48.341(4) is amended to read: 6
(4) "certificate of authorization" means a certificate issued by the 7
board authorizing a corporati on, a limited liability company, a limited liability 8
partnership, or a limited partnership to provide professional s ervices in architecture, 9
engineering, land surveying, [OR] landscape architecture , or registered interior 10
design through individuals legally registered by the board; 11
* Sec. 32. AS 08.48.341(23) is amended to read: 12
(23) "registrant" means a person registered by the board as a 13
professional architect, professional engineer, professional land surveyor, 14
professional [OR] landscape architect, or registered interior designer; 15
* Sec. 33. AS 08.48.341 is amended by adding new paragraphs to read: 16
(27) "registered interior design" means the practice of interi or design 17
as a registered interior designer; 18
(28) "registered interior designer" means a person who is 19
(A) registered and qualified by education, training, experienc e, 20
and examination to engage in the practice of interior design, a s defined by the 21
board, while using the title "registered interior designer"; and 22
(B) authorized to sign and stamp documents with an official 23
seal under AS 08.48.221, as determined by the board, for the pu rpose of 24
obtaining requisite permits for construction projects. 25
* Sec. 34. AS 23.30.017(c)(1) is amended to read: 26
(1) "design professional" means a person registered under AS 0 8.48 as 27
an architect, engineer, [OR] land surveyor , landscape architect, or registered 28
interior designer; 29
* Sec. 35. AS 29.60.400(c) is amended to read: 30
(c) In this section, "costs of construction" means, in additio n to costs directly 31
-19- Enrolled SB 54
related to a project, the sum of all costs of financing and car rying out the project, 1
including the costs of all necessary studies, surveys, plans an d specifications, 2
architectural, engineering, land surveying, landscape architectural, registered 3
interior design, or other special services, acquisition of real property, site preparation 4
and development, purchase, cons truction, reconstruction, and im provement of real 5
property, and the acquisition of machinery and equipment necessary to th e project; an 6
allocable portion of the administrative and operating expenses of the grantee; and the 7
cost of financing the project, including interest on bonds issu ed to finance the project, 8
the cost of indemnity and surety bonds, premiums on insurance, legal fees, fees and 9
expenses of trustees, depositaries, and financial advisors, and the costs associated with 10
the issuance of bonds. It does not include the cost of feasibility studies. 11
* Sec. 36. AS 34.35.050 is amended to read: 12
Sec. 34.35.050. Lien for labor or materials furnished. A person has a lien, 13
only to the extent provided under this chapter, to secure the p ayment of the contract 14
price if the person 15
(1) performs labor on [UPON] real property at the request of the owner 16
or the agent of the owner for the construction, alteration, or repair of a building or 17
improvement; 18
(2) is a trustee of an employee benefit trust for the benefit of 19
individuals performing labor on the building or improvement and has a direct contract 20
with the owner or the agent of the owner for direct payments into the trust; 21
(3) furnishes materials that are delivered to real property un der a 22
contract with the owner or the agent of the owner that are inco rporated in the 23
construction, alteration, or repair of a building or improvement; 24
(4) furnishes equipment that is delivered to and used on [UPON] real 25
property under a contract with the owner or the agent of the ow ner for the 26
construction, alteration, or repair of a building or improvement; 27
(5) performs services under a contract with the owner or the a gent of 28
the owner in connection with the preparation of plans, surveys, or architectural , [OR] 29
engineering, landscape architectural, or registered interior design p l a n s o r 30
drawings for the construction, a lteration, or repair of a build ing or improvement, 31
Enrolled SB 54 -20-
whether or not actually implemented on that property; or 1
(6) is a general contractor. 2
* Sec. 37. AS 35.15.010(c) is amended to read: 3
(c) In this section, "professional services" means architectur al, engineering, 4
[OR] land surveying , landscape architectural, or registered interior design 5
services. 6
* Sec. 38. AS 36.30.270(a) is amended to read: 7
(a) Notwithstanding conf licting provisions of AS 36.30.100 - 3 6.30.260, a 8
procurement officer shall negotiate a contract for an agency wi th the most qualified 9
and suitable firm or person of demonstrated competence for architectural, engineering, 10
[OR] land surveying , landscape architectural, or registered interior design 11
services. The procurement officer shall award a contract for th ose services at fair and 12
reasonable compensation as determined by the procurement office r, after 13
consideration of the estimated value of the services to be rend ered, and the scope, 14
complexity, and professional nature of the services. When deter mining the most 15
qualified and suitable firm or person, the procurement officer shall consider the 16
(1) proximity to the project site of the office of the firm or p e r s o n 17
unless federal law prohibits this factor from being considered in the awarding of the 18
contract; and 19
(2) employment practices of the firm or person with regard to women 20
and minorities. 21
* Sec. 39. AS 36.30.270(d) is amended to read: 22
(d) Notwithstanding the other provisions of this section, a pr ocurement officer 23
may include price as an added factor in selecting architectural , engineering, [AND] 24
land surveying , landscape architectural, and registered interior design services 25
when, in the judgment of the procurement officer, the services required are repetitious 26
in nature, and the scope, nature, and amount of services requir ed are thoroughly 27
defined by measurable and objective standards to reasonably ena ble firms or persons 28
making proposals to compete with a clear understanding and inte rpretation of the 29
services required. In order to in clude price as a factor in sel ection, a majority of the 30
persons involved by the procureme nt officer in evaluation of th e proposals must be 31
-21- Enrolled SB 54
registered in the state to perform architectural, engineering, [OR] land surveying , 1
landscape architectural, or registered interior design services. 2
* Sec. 40. AS 36.30.305(e) is amended to read: 3
(e) Architectural, engineering, [AND] land survey , landscape architectural, 4
and registered interior design contracts under AS 36.30.270 may not be made under 5
this section. 6
* Sec. 41. AS 36.30.990(19) is amended to read: 7
(19) "preconstruction services" means information, research, a dvice, 8
and related tasks regarding the impacts of design on the physic al construction of a 9
project; "preconstruction servi ces" does not mean architectural , engineering, [OR] 10
land surveying, landscape architectural, and registered interior design services; 11
* Sec. 42. AS 36.90.100 is amended to read: 12
Sec. 36.90.100. Contracts for archit ectural, engineering, land surveying, 13
[OR] landscape architectural, or registered interior design ser vices. The state or a 14
municipality may not award a cont ract for architectural, engine ering, land surveying, 15
[OR] landscape architectural, or registered interior design services to 16
(1) an individual who is not registered under AS 08.48 to perf orm the 17
architectural, engineering, land surveying, [OR] landscape arch itectural, or registered 18
interior design services required by the contract; 19
(2) a partnership, except as provided by (3) of this section, that is not 20
qualified under AS 08.48.251 to provide the architectural, engineering, land surveying, 21
[OR] landscape architectural , or registered interior design services required by the 22
contract; or 23
(3) a corporation, limited lia bility company, or limited liabi lity 24
partnership that is not authorized under AS 08.48.241 to offer the architectural, 25
engineering, land surveying, [OR] landscape architectural , or registered interior 26
design services required by the contract. 27
* Sec. 43. AS 46.07.040(c) is amended to read: 28
(c) In (a) of this section, "c ost of the construction of a fac ility" includes, in 29
addition to costs directly related to the project, the sum tota l of all costs of financing 30
and carrying out the project. Th ese include [, BUT ARE NOT LIMI TED TO,] the 31
Enrolled SB 54 -22-
costs of all necessary studies, surveys, plans and specificatio ns, architectural, 1
engineering, land surveying, landscape architectural, or other special services, 2
acquisition of real property, site preparation and development, purchase, construction, 3
reconstruction, and imp rovement of real property, and the acqui sition of machinery 4
and equipment as may be necessary in connection with the projec t; an allocable 5
portion of the administrative and operating expenses of the gra ntee; the cost of 6
financing the project, including interest on bonds issued to fi nance the project; and the 7
cost of other items, including any indemnity and surety bonds a nd premiums on 8
insurance, legal fees, fees and expenses of trustees, depositar ies, financial advisors, 9
and paying agents for the bonds issued as the issuer considers necessary. 10
* Sec. 44. AS 08.48.011(c) and AS 36.30.270(e) are repealed. 11
* Sec. 45. The uncodified law of the State of Alaska is amended by adding a new section to 12
read: 13
TRANSITION: BOARD APPOINTMENT. Notwithstanding AS 08.48.031, an 14
interior designer appointed to the State Board of Registration for Architects, Engineers, and 15
Land Surveyors under AS 08.48.011(b), as amended by sec. 3 of this Act, must be certified by 16
the Council for Interior Design Qu alification and have resided in the state for at least two 17
years immediately preceding appointment. On and after the effective date of sec. 4 of this Act, 18
an interior designer appointed to the board under AS 08.48.011( b), as amended by sec. 3 of 19
this Act, may continue to occupy the seat on the board reserved for the registered interior 20
designer until a registered interior designer is appointed to t he seat. An interior designer 21
appointed to the board under AS 08.48.011(b), as amended by sec. 3 of this Act, is eligible for 22
reappointment to the board on or after the effective date of se c. 4 of this Act if the interior 23
designer meets the requirements of AS 08.48.011(b), as amended by sec. 4 of this Act. 24
* Sec. 46. Sections 3 and 45 of this Act take effect immediately under AS 01.10.070(c). 25
* Sec. 47. Section 29 of this Act and AS 08.48.331(d), enacted by sec. 30 of this Act, take 26
effect January 1, 2026. 27
* Sec. 48. Except as provided in secs. 46 a nd 47 of this Act, this Act tak es effect July 1, 28
2025. 29