HB 2154 Virginia House of Delegates · 2025 Regular Session

Architects; alternative to education requirement for licensure.

Summary

Professions and occupations; alternative to education requirement for licensure of architects. Requires the Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects to adopt regulations establishing work and education experience equivalencies that shall provide an alternative to the requirement of a professional degree in architecture from a program accredited by the National Architectural Accrediting Board. The bill also requires the Board to adopt regulations establishing a credit system to account for varying degrees of work and education experience and to develop requirements for applicants seeking licensure to certify work and education experience on an annual basis. The bill requires the Board to evaluate any past work or education experience of any applicant under this bill until July 1, 2028. This bill is identical to SB 1310.

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Jan 2025

Committee Review

Feb 2025

House of Delegates Passage

Feb 2025

Senate Passage

Feb 2025

Signed into Law

Mar 2025

Introduced Jan 7, 2025 Signed Mar 24, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 3 comparisons

What changed between versions

Enrolled → Chaptered · 1 edit

MINOR

This bill was formally enacted into law (Chapter 534) after passing the legislature. The substantive policy content remains unchanged from the enrolled version, with only formatting and layout adjustments made for the official chaptered version. The law establishes an alternative pathway for architects to obtain licensure without a NAAB-accredited degree, requiring 10 years of qualifying work or education experience instead.

Scope change

No substantive scope change; the bill's applicability and requirements remain identical to the enrolled version.

TECHNICAL

Layout and spacing adjustments for official publication, including addition of chapter number, approval date, and formatting of section text.

Floor votes · Senate Feb 14, 2025 · House of Delegates Feb 3, 2025

How they voted

36–0

Passed · 4 other

Total votes 40

Feb 14, 2025

D Democratic21

21 Yea

100% Yea

R Republican19

15 Yea 4

78% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Mar 24, 2025

Signed into law

Approved by Governor-Chapter 534 (Effective 07/01/25)

executive

Feb 22, 2025

Upper · Passed

Signed by President

upper

Feb 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

Signed by Speaker

lower

Feb 19, 2025

Lower · Passed

Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB2154ER)

lower

Feb 17, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed Senate (39-Y 0-N)

upper

Feb 14, 2025

Upper · Passed

Passed by for the day

upper

Feb 12, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported from General Laws and Technology (15-Y 0-N)

upper

Feb 4, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Lower · Passed

Read third time and passed House (98-Y 1-N)

lower

Jan 31, 2025

Introduced

Engrossed by House as amended

lower

Jan 31, 2025

Lower · Passed

General Laws Amendments agreed to

lower

Jan 28, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported from General Laws with amendment(s) (22-Y 0-N)

lower

Jan 23, 2025

Lower · Passed

Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) (8-Y 0-N)

lower

Jan 20, 2025

Committee

Assigned GL sub: Professions/Occupations and Administrative Process

lower

Jan 7, 2025

Committee

Referred to Committee on General Laws

lower

1 primary · 1 co-sponsor