Homepage | Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing

Kerry Cooley Bruggemann, Professional Engineer

Kerry Cooley Bruggemann, Professional Engineer, goes behind the scenes at the Minneapolis airport to discuss the role engineers play in designing electrical, fire protection, and HVAC systems that safeguard the public — and how professional licensing ensures high engineering standards.

Short Explainer: Professional Licensing Boards

Professional licensing boards set and enforce standards for highly complex, technical professions that have a high impact on public safety and welfare. Learn more: responsiblelicensing.org.

Carlos Barrera, CPA

Carlos Barrera, CPA, discusses various functions within public accounting, how CPAs protect the public from harm, and why removing the CPA designation would put the public at risk.

Arkansas Democrat Gazette: Caution on Licensing

I am concerned that the desire to lower barriers for some occupations may inadvertently also lower standards for professions that carry high public impact. As a certified public accountant for 42 years and as the immediate past chair of the Arkansas Society of CPAs, I have learned that Arkansans depend on CPAs as trusted financial advisers to individuals, families, businesses and public institutions. The state and the nation rely on CPAs’ expertise to protect the integrity of our financial system. – Mike Carroll, CPA

Read the full LTE here: https://www.arkansasonline.com/news/2019/dec/09/letters-20191209/?opinion

Op-ed: Professional licensing is rigorous for a reason

While we understand Gov. DeSantis’ desire to lower barriers for Floridians entering occupations by eliminating unnecessary requirements, we ask Florida leaders to be mindful of potential unintended consequences for professions — and the professionals in them — that oversee systems vital to Floridians’ safety, health, and financial interests.

Engineers, surveyors, architects, landscape architects, and certified public accountants (CPAs) are professions that are responsible for everything from the physical integrity of buildings to the fiscal integrity of financial systems.

They design and build homes, roads, bridges, and stormwater systems; they ensure the probity of our state and national economies as well as large and small businesses. For such jobs, broad-brush proposals intended to relax licensing requirements can weaken the standards that allow us to live securely and freely and rely on trustworthy guidance when our lives require it — when, for instance, we decide to build a house or start a business.

To that end, any conversation around licensing reform would be well-served to acknowledge that for some professions, rigorous licensing is not only desirable, but appropriate and necessary.

Read the full op-ed on FloridaPolitics.com here: https://floridapolitics.com/archives/317366-john-johnson-skip-braziel-professional-licensing-is-rigorous-for-a-reason

Rigorous professional licensing protects Iowans

Iowans need professional engineers to be licensed at the highest level because we are responsible for designing facilities and systems such as roads, bridges, buildings, autonomous vehicles, and biotechnology. Because of this tremendous responsibility, an engineer’s license is rigorous for good reason. Iowans would be put at needless risk if the state professional engineers’ license is eliminated or weakened. – David Martini, President, National Society of Professional Engineers

Read the full LTE here: https://www.thegazette.com/subject/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/rigorous-professional-licensing-protects-iowans-20191113

ASCE, NCEES, NSPE Launch New Coalition to Protect Professional Licensing

ASCE, NCEES and NSPE will collaborate with other ARPL members to inform lawmakers of the need to maintain standards for highly complex, technical professions like engineering that have a clear impact on public health, safety and welfare. The coalition was formed to ensure the voices and concerns of the advanced professions are heard by lawmakers amid the growing debate around licensing. “When civil engineers design and build critical infrastructure projects like roads, airports, bridges and dams, the public must have confidence in their safety and structural integrity,” said ASCE President Robin A. Kemper, P.E. “The best way to ensure the public’s confidence is to continue to require civil engineers to demonstrate rigorous education, examination and experience as part of their licensing. Recent state-by-state attempts to weaken professional licensing requirements pose a real danger to the public’s health, safety and welfare.”

Read the full article here: https://csengineermag.com/asce-ncees-nspe-launch-new-coalition-to-protect-professional-licensing/

CLARB Helps Launch New Coalition to Protect Professional Licensing

8/12/2019

CLARB Helps Launch New Coalition to Protect Professional Licensing

Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards and Others Unite as Standards Put at Risk by Calls to Eliminate or Weaken Licensing

Washington, DC – The Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB) has helped found the Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing (ARPL) – a new coalition of advanced professions focused on educating policymakers and the public about the importance of rigorous professional licensing standards.

CLARB will work with other ARPL members to inform lawmakers of the need to maintain licensing standards for highly complex, technical professions like landscape architecture that have a clear impact on public health, safety, and welfare. The coalition was formed to ensure the voices and concerns of advanced professions are heard by lawmakers amid the growing debate around licensing.

“Professional licensing for landscape architects is rigorous for good reason. Landscape architects are responsible for designing and planning the outdoor environment to enhance property values (including parks, streetscapes, and gardens); ensuring public accessibility related to transit and habitat; reducing impacts to property caused by flooding, sea-level rise, and fire through trained resilience planning; and creating spaces that enhance public health and well-being,” said Veronica Meadows, Senior Director of Strategy for CLARB. “It is vitally important lawmakers understand our profession plays an indispensable role in protecting public health, safety, and welfare. With advanced professions like ours at risk of being swept up in broad calls to reduce licensing requirements for occupations and vocations, ARPL will enable landscape architects and their registration boards to educate lawmakers about the value of our rigorous education, examination and experience requirements and the need to preserve them.”

You can learn more about ARPL and the importance of professional licensing by visiting the group’s newly-launched website: http://www.responsiblelicensing.org/.

ARPL members include the American Institute of Architects (AIA), American Institute of CPAs (AICPA), the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB), the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB), the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES) and the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE).

For ARPL media inquiries, please contact Joe Sangiorgio by email at jsangiorgio@craftdc.com or by phone at 1-202-550-2709

###

The Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing (ARPL) promotes a responsible, balanced approach to professional licensing. We aim to educate policymakers and the public on the importance of high standards, rigorous education, and extensive experience within highly complex, technical professions that are relied upon to protect public safety and enhance public trust. For more information, visit www.responsiblelicensing.org

AIA, NCARB Help Launch New Coalition to Represent Complex Professions and Licensing Boards

8/12/2019

AIA, NCARB Help Launch New Coalition to Represent Complex Professions and Licensing Boards

Architects, Registration Boards, and Others join effort to ensure a unified voice for professions in growing debate around licensure, regulation, and public safety

Washington, DC – The American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) are among several organizations who have helped found the Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing (ARPL) — a new coalition of technical professions focused on educating policymakers and the public about the importance of rigorous professional licensing standards.

ARPL is a unique coalition that brings together professional organizations and their registration boards at a time when there is significant concern over the appropriate level of licensing required by law. The coalition was formed to ensure their voices are heard by policymakers and the public amid the growing debate around licensing.

“NCARB and AIA may approach the licensing debate from different perspectives but we fundamentally agree that rigorous standards must be maintained in order to protect the public we both serve,” said NCARB CEO Michael J. Armstrong. “Complex professions are at risk of being swept up in broad calls to reduce licensing requirements for occupations and vocations. It is important for us to work with other technical professions to ensure public safety isn’t compromised by broad brush deregulatory efforts.

“When an architect designs a hospital or a school, the public must have confidence in its safety and structural integrity,” said AIA EVP/CEO Robert Ivy, FAIA. “The best way to maintain the public’s confidence is to continue to require that architects demonstrate rigorous and ongoing education, examination, and experience. Attempts to weaken or undermine professional licensing requirements for architects not only harm our profession, but could potentially endanger public health, safety, and welfare.”

The formation of the Alliance reflects mutual interest between regulatory organizations and their professional society counterparts in making the case for reasonable regulation. Although the regulatory associations’ mission is the protection of the public, and the professional societies are the voices of their respective professions, recent trends and challenges in the regulatory and legislative environment have called for these groups to proactively engage together in the narrative around the importance of reasonable regulation and licensing.

In addition to AIA and NCARB, members of the ARPL include the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA), American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB), National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA), National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) and National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES).

You can learn more about ARPL and the importance of professional licensing by visiting the group’s newly-launched website http://www.responsiblelicensing.org.

About NCARB

The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards’ membership is made up of the architectural licensing boards of the 50 states, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. NCARB, in collaboration with these boards, facilitates the licensure and credentialing of architects to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public.

To achieve these goals, NCARB works with its Member Boards and volunteers to develop and facilitate standards for licensure, including the national examination and experience program. NCARB also recommends regulatory guidelines for licensing boards and helps architects expand their professional reach through the NCARB Certificate.

Connect with NCARB on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

About AIA

Founded in 1857, AIA consistently works to create more valuable, healthy, secure, and sustainable buildings, neighborhoods, and communities. Through more than 200 international, state and local chapters, AIA advocates for public policies that promote economic vitality and public wellbeing.

AIA provides members with tools and resources to assist them in their careers and business as well as engaging civic and government leaders and the public to find solutions to pressing issues facing our communities, institutions, nation, and world. Members adhere to a code of ethics and conduct to ensure the highest professional standards.

For ARPL media inquiries, please contact Joe Sangiorgio by email at jsangiorgio@craftdc.com or by phone at 1-202-550-2709

###

AICPA, NASBA Help Launch New Coalition to Protect Professional Licensing

8/12/2019

AICPA, NASBA Help Launch New Coalition to Protect Professional Licensing

CPAs, Boards of Accountancy and Others Unite to Maintain Public Protection as Licensing Standards Put at Risk

Washington, DC – The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) have helped found the Alliance for Responsible Professional Licensing (ARPL) – a new coalition of advanced professions focused on educating policymakers and the public about the importance of rigorous professional licensing standards.

AICPA and NASBA will work with other ARPL members to inform lawmakers of the need to maintain standards for highly complex, technical professions like the CPA profession that have a clear impact on the public’s fiscal health and welfare. The coalition was formed to ensure the voices and concerns of the advanced professions are heard by lawmakers amid the growing debate around licensing.

“Weakening professional licensing standards on a state-by-state basis will destroy the confidence in qualifications and completely disrupt existing mobility models for advanced professions like ours,” warned Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA, president and CEO of AICPA. “Employers will be less inclined to accept out-of-state licenses if some states have rigorous requirements and others have weak requirements. The result: it will become more difficult for CPAs to move and maintain their careers across states.”

“When a CPA performs an audit of a business or government, the public must have confidence in its accuracy, thoroughness, and integrity,” explained NASBA CEO Ken Bishop. “The most effective way to maintain this confidence is to continue to have CPAs show rigorous education, examination, and experience for their licensing requirements. Broad-brush attempts to weaken or undermine licensing requirements threaten to sweep up advanced professions like certified public accounting, diminish public protection and jeopardize the fiscal integrity of the work our professionals do.”

You can learn more about ARPL and the importance of professional licensing by visiting the group’s newly-launched website http://www.responsiblelicensing.org.

For ARPL media inquiries, please contact Joe Sangiorgio by email at jsangiorgio@craftdc.com or by phone at 1-202-550-2709

###