AUSTIN, TX—The Texas Senate today passed legislation that will prohibit anyone from practicing lighting design except for registered architects, landscape architects, engineers, interior designers, and commercial electricians. H.B. 2649 was authored by Represenatives Wayne Smith, Bill Callegari, and Senator Bob Deuell to amend the current state law relating to the regulation and practice of engineering and lighting design. Three different sections of the legislation prohibit “a person from performing or offering to perform lighting design service unless the person is licensed as an engineer under this chapter; registered as an architect, landscape architect, or interior designer under Subtitle B (Regulation of Architecture and Related Practices), Title 6 (Regulation of Engineering, Architecture, Land Surveying, and Related Practices); or licensed under Chapter 1305 (Electricians). “ The sole exception is for “the preparation of shop drawings or other directions from a manufacturer for the installation or operation of lighting fixtures.”
Senator Kip Averitt sponsored the bill in the Senate. His office declined to comment on the legislation.
The bill will now go to the House for consideration. Smith can either
concur or not concur with the Senate version. If he does not concur it
will likely fail to become law. Smith’s office reported receiving many
calls in opposition to the bill.
Comment by GUEST on 2009-05-27 16:39:05 There is a yahoo site dedicated to lighting designers watching this bill. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NOHB2649/
The site has been spotty today so email
if you would like an invitation. It is open to anyone concerned about this issue.
Comment by GUEST on 2009-05-27 16:45:11 This is nuts! It turns every drama teacher, theatre student, and theatre technician in the state into a criminal, not to mention the thousands in the live event, film, TV, church, installation, and systems design businesses.
Comment by GUEST on 2009-05-27 17:11:43 Of all the things for Texas to pass a legislation on. Give me a break.
Perhaps they need to sharpen their pencils in terms of defining this bill because it would appear slightly appropriate for those that are engineering the lighting for public works and spaces where it's important that the "designer" adhere to specific scientific illumination standards.
Comment by GUEST on 2009-05-27 17:35:31 An illustration of the shortage of art and artistic sensibility in Texas? I'm sure there are actual problems for the legislature to solve there.
As a lighting designer and an industrial electrician, I can't tell you how many times I have followed behind licensed and registered folks and cleaned up the mess, artistically, safetywise and operationally. Having the piece of paper has never been a guarantee. What is the money path here?
Comment by GUEST on 2009-05-27 17:35:58 While there needs to be professional oversight of lighting installations in public venues, most of the people listed in the bill have nothing to do with the temporary installation of performance venue lighting. It seems that the legislature is once again legislating the proportions of a horse and building a camel.
Comment by GUEST on 2009-05-27 17:55:35 An investigation into the supporters of this legislation will likely reveal a coalition of practitioners who would like to restrict competition. For example, interior designers around the country are seeking licensing laws. There is no legitimate reason for such licensing. It only serves as a barrier to competition. It is a matter of individual rights; the right of an individual to practice their art.
Comment by GUEST on 2009-05-27 17:59:28 As a professional lighting designer in Texas and a University Professor teaching it, I am shocked at the legislature here. They wonder why we protest every time they want to take the fine arts credit out of public education standards. Because if you don't understand the complexity of the arts, you can't hope to possibly see the effect your wording of legislative bills can have on the professionals in your jurisdiction. You end up creating laws that deny freedom of expression to artist, when you tried to regulate safety in public areas. They need to kill this bill and start over.
Comment by GUEST on 2009-05-27 18:13:03 As Molly Ivins might have been inclined to say, "Practice art, go to jail."
Comment by GUEST on 2009-05-27 18:28:36 Was this, by chance, put forth and passed by the same group that handled the White Spaces legislature at the FCC? Because it seems like the same amount of common sense (read: NONE) was involved.
As the owner of many lights (and no few wireless microphones) and the operator of a moderate-sized production company, I honestly can't see myself getting any sort of degree in engineering, architecture or interior design just so I can hang some LEDs, a couple of Atomics and a few MACs to make a band look good at the local pub or festival...
Comment by GUEST on 2009-05-27 19:59:08 Good grief - Did the State of Texas even consider that some folks have graduated with a degree in Theater Design and/o technical theater? What is Texas thinking. Do you have your head up your you know what?
