2019 State Legislative Agenda

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["strong"],["b"]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"AIA Wisconsin, the state society of the American Institute of\nArchitects, supports state policies that protect the health and safety of the\npublic, encourage sustainable economic development, strengthen the design and\nconstruction industry, and improve the quality of life across the state."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"AIA Wisconsin members are helping Wisconsin build for the\nfuture. Wisconsin architects collaborate\nwith community leaders to revitalize neighborhoods, improve public facilities and\nsupport greater resiliency."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"With over 1,500 individual members, AIA Wisconsin represents\narchitects in private practice, business, industry, government and education. Member architects are interested in the\nfollowing issues that may be considered during the 2019-20 session of the\nWisconsin Legislature. "]]],[3,"ul",[[[0,[0],1,"State Building Program"],[0,[],0," \u2013 AIA Wisconsin supports a capital\nbudget for the biennium that provides adequate funding for the state building\nprogram, including repairs, remodeling and new construction. Now is the time to protect our investment in\nstate building facilities located in communities and on campuses across the\nstate."]],[[0,[0],1,"Architect Selection"],[0,[1],1," "],[0,[],0,"\u2013 AIA\nWisconsin supports the use of a qualifications-based selection (QBS) process\nfor procuring architectural services for public building projects, including\nstate agency, UW System, local government and school district facilities."]],[[0,[1],1,"School Safety"],[0,[],0," \u2013\nArchitects are key partners in making schools safer by design. Many security measures can be integrated into\ndesign solutions to not only increase safety, but also contribute to a positive\nlearning environment. AIA Wisconsin\nsupports allowing school districts to use school safety grants for\narchitectural design services to address today\u2019s security concerns."]],[[0,[0],1,"Building Codes"],[0,[],0," \u2013 AIA Wisconsin supports contemporary state\nbuilding codes that are developed with the active participation of architects\non the Commercial Building Code Council."]],[[0,[0],1,"Resiliency"],[0,[],0," \u2013 AIA Wisconsin supports state policies that promote sustainable\ncommunities, durable infrastructure systems and high-performance\nbuildings. Architects play a vital role\nin pre-disaster planning and support efforts to encourage resilient\nenvironments that can absorb and recover from adverse events. "]],[[0,[0],1,"Housing"],[0,[],0," \u2013 Architects understand the challenges of providing safe, healthy\nand sustainable housing for all. AIA\nWisconsin supports state policies and programs to promote the design,\nconstruction, renovation, rehabilitation, preservation and stabilization of\naffordable housing within the means of all people."]],[[0,[0],1,"Professional Licensing"],[0,[],0," \u2013 AIA Wisconsin supports state\nlicensing of architects to protect public health, safety and welfare. Architects are licensed by every state. Wisconsin has regulated the practice of\narchitecture since 1917. "]],[[0,[0],1,"State Taxes"],[0,[],0," \u2013 Architects support a state tax code that is fair and predictable. AIA Wisconsin opposes proposals to expand the\nsales tax to architectural and other professional services because of the\nadverse effect on small businesses and efforts to grow the state\u2019s economy."]]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Please contact AIA Wisconsin for more\ninformation on these and other issues of interest to AIA Wisconsin members and\nthe state\u2019s design and construction industry.\n"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"AIA Wisconsin supports state\ninitiatives to encourage economic development. \nMember architects collaborate with state and local leaders to revitalize\ncommunities, improve public facilities, enhance school safety, create\naffordable housing, save energy and position our state for sustainable\ngrowth. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Architects are small businesses on\nthe leading edge of the state\u2019s building industry. When architects are busy it is a reliable\nearly indicator of future construction and related economic activity. It is important for Wisconsin to"],[0,[1],1," "],[0,[],0,"continue"],[0,[1],1," "],[0,[],0,"building for the future by taking appropriate steps to\nsupport the state\u2019s creative economy, jump start the market for retrofitting\nexisting buildings to reduce energy costs and advance policies that address housing\nand other infrastructure needs. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Investing in the state building program provides a direct\nstimulus to Wisconsin\u2019s economy. The\nstate is the largest building owner in Wisconsin, with over 6,500 buildings and\na significant backlog of repair and maintenance needs. While designed to withstand hard use, about a\nquarter of state buildings are at the age where they require significant\nrepairs and renovations to function adequately and increase energy efficiency. These projects offer an attractive return on\ninvestment\nthat begins when an architect is selected to design a state building."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Architects play a vital role in planning vibrant and resilient\ncommunities\nwith code-compliant buildings, safer schools by design, energy-efficient\nfacilities, historic structures and quality housing for all."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The AIA is leading efforts to update\nschool design guidelines and enhance student safety by making safe school design eligible for\nfederal grants and establishing a national clearinghouse on school design."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"State building codes need to be comprehensive, coordinated and\ncontemporary. It is important that the\ncode development process involves the active participation of architects,\nincorporates the latest research, prevents favoritism or bias to any special\ninterest, insures that code requirements are cost-effective in relation to\npublic benefit, and promotes building code provisions that set performance\nrather than prescriptive standards. AIA\nWisconsin supports the appointment of architects to the Commercial Building\nCode Council to help develop recommendations for updating state building code\nrequirements. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Architects are licensed in all 50 states\nto protect\npublic health, safety and welfare, with each state establishing minimum\neducation, experience and examination requirements. AIA Wisconsin supports state regulation and\nlicensing of architects. The National\nCouncil of Architectural Registration Boards facilitates reciprocity and the\nability of architects to practice in other states. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Proposals to expand the state sales tax to architectural and\nother professional and business services would adversely affect attempts to\ngrow the state\u2019s economy .Such a state\nsales tax increase would place Wisconsin firms at a competitive disadvantage,\nimpede economic activity by increasing front-end development costs, hit small\nbusinesses the hardest, and create significant administrative and compliance\nproblems."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"AIA Wisconsin supports the state historic tax\ncredits program. This effective\nincentive encourages the rehabilitation of historic buildings and the\nredevelopment of local communities, creating new jobs and economic\nopportunities."]]]]}