Playing politics in Arizona with Health, Safety… and the Economy.

Like many jurisdictions in the United States, Arizona requires a periodic sunset renewal of licensing and registration boards. In this case, the Arizona Board of Technical Registration (AZBTR), that oversees Architecture, Engineering, Geology, Landscape Architecture, and Land Surveying among other professions, faces being discontinued in the coming weeks. The elimination of AZBTR would effectively cease professional registration in the state, putting Arizona residents and the Arizona economy at risk in the short and long term.

Professional licensing exists for a specific reason: to safeguard life, health, property, and to promote the public welfare. Without AZBTR, there will be no evaluation of professional credentials or abilities, there will be no discipline for those that commit unsafe practice, and all the other jobs that rely upon these disciplines will be imperiled creating a potential economic cascade. At the very least, the uncertainty and lack of legislative reliability being demonstrated will have a chilling effect on investments, likely increases to insurance costs, and may result in longer-term impacts from the departure of skilled professionals from Arizona to other states where their skills are recognized and supported. Oddly enough, the underlying rationale being proffered by those seeking to discontinue and/or strip authority from the board is to create a more business friendly environment. The reality is just the opposite.

AZBTR was founded in 1921, only nine years after the founding of the state of Arizona. The most recent continuation was passed in 2016 for eight years. The Arizona House did their part during the 2024 legislative session by introducing a clean continuation in the form of HB2253, hearing it in committees (passing 8-1 and 9-0), and voting on the floor (passing 46-10). The Arizona Senate government committee, however, refused to agendize HB2253. Instead, the committee proposed continuing the Board, along with seven other agencies, in a striker bill, HB2632. This bill, if enacted, would continue AZBTR for only two years and could effectively strip the ability of the board to actively discipline many registrants, including those who practice without licensure (i.e. lacking demonstrated and documented education, experience, and/or minimal competency testing).

According to the Arizona Commerce Authority, during the 2023 fiscal year, 24,246 new jobs with an average wage of $71,893 were brought to Arizona. The companies bringing those jobs also committed to investing a record $40.73 billion in local communities. Without registered professionals in Architecture, Engineering, Geology, Landscape Architecture, and Land Surveying, the continued record growth experienced by Arizona in 2023 will decline. Consider if you were given the choice between a board-certified medical professional or someone who simply had a web site offering medical services. Nearly everyone would gravitate to the person who is board certified. Now imagine if there was no board certification available. Both would appear the same. True, if there were problems after your procedure you could try to sue the company or person, but that would take time and money, and ultimately it would not restore your health. The same is true for any of the professions managed by AZBTR. If a building or bridge were to fail, or something get built in the wrong place, you could address the issue in the courts with additional time and money, but would it not be simpler if you could easily identify the qualified professional before the failure? Would it also not be smarter to allow the board to regulate, investigate, and possibly discipline people who are not demonstrating minimal competency as quickly as they are discovered rather than only when someone involved in failed project comes forward? This is the function of AZBTR that is now at risk.

The only rational and fiscally responsible path is to pass a clean continuation, ideally for a minimum of eight years as has been recent past practice. This is not to say that additional changes to the governing laws of these professions could not be discussed and enacted in the intervening years, but it demonstrates a commitment to stability and progress necessary to continue investment. The Arizona Senate needs to avoid this game of chicken where there are no winners. Instead, there is a moral requirement to act responsibly for their constituents: step past politics and pass a clean continuation.