Committee Members:

Mitch Blake, AIA
Cornelius Kinsey, AIA
Lewis Matthew Miller, AIA
Lyle Murtha, AIA
Charlie Van Over, AIA
Will Wheatley, AIA

Continued Work on the Architects Practice Act

The mission of the Government Advocacy Committee is to advocate for legislation and regulations that support the value of architecture. For 2024, the Government Advocacy Committee has been working with the Wyoming Board of Architects and Landscape Architects (WBALA) to implement the Architects Practice Act that was passed by the 2023 Wyoming State Legislature. The Architects Practice Act enables alternative paths of licensure for architectural candidates who do not have an accredited architectural degree. Depending on your level of education and office experience, the Architects Practice Act provides different levels of AXP experience in accordance with NCARB requirements that will allow you to sit for the licensing exam upon completion. The following is an example of alternative path options from NCARB.

NCARB Interim Guidance on Multiple Paths

• Complete the NCARB Architectural Experience Program® (AXP®) twice if a candidate has a degree from a four-year bachelor’s degree program that includes at least 60 semester credit hours in architecture-related subjects.*
• Complete the AXP three times if a candidate has a degree from a two-year associate degree program that includes at least 30 credit hours of coursework in architecture-related subjects.*
• Complete the AXP four times if a candidate has a high school degree or an established equivalent but does not have a relevant post-secondary academic education.

Presently, the NCARB is studying the requirements and how they will be monitored. This study is anticipated to take three or more years to complete. The WBALA is in the process of working with the Wyoming attorney general to clarify the rule making language and possibly implement the Architects Practice Act in Wyoming before NCARB completes its study. The Government Advocacy Committee is carefully following the process and coordinating with WBALA as they work through the details of getting the Architects Practice Act implemented.

The Government Advocacy Committee continues to work on issues impacting local, state and federal projects. We encourage your comments on the issues you are facing in your architectural practices.