The government legislative branch and public relations team of The American Society of Interior Designers’ represent the interests of interior design professionals and business owners to advocating on behalf of the profession at both the State and Federal levels. Their primary job is to protect interior designers’ right to practice, while ASID supports the efforts of individuals to become recognized as certified, registered or licensed Interior Designers through the passage of state legislation. ASID advocates for legislation that places no restriction on the use “Interior Designer” but does allow a pathway to creating expanded practice opportunities including full stamping, signing and permitting privileges. “The ability for an interior designer to pull a building permit, independent of an architect or engineer, for their scope of work on a project is fundamental to the advancement of this profession,” explains Holly Dennis, ASID-FLWC legislative chair. “Both at the federal and state level, interior designers are significantly disadvantaged and many times not allowed to bid government funded projects, therefore they are put at a competitive disadvantage relative to architects and engineers.”

The ASID-FLWC Chapter adopts and follows the same legislative strategic plan as its National organization that is applicable to the state of Florida. Dennis engages with the organization’s National Vice President of Government & Public Affairs and the other Florida chapter legislative chairs to develop ways that they can actively lobby for and defend the professional practice of interior design. “Last year, I traveled to Tallahassee twice to speak before the Florida House of Representatives subcommittee hearings and personally wrote letters to our local State Representatives and Senators,” Dennis says. “We provide tools for our members so that they can also effectively contact the legislators in their respective districts.” ASID-FLWC (as well as North and South Chapters) is preparing to battle yet another deregulation effort this coming 2020 Session. Senate Bill 474 Deregulation of Professions and Occupations was introduced by Senator Ben Albritton, District 26 in early October 2019. A House of Representatives companion Bill to SB474 has not yet been led. “ASID establishes a unifying voice,” says Dennis, “so that interior designers have the power to design a better future for themselves and the entire profession."