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Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the public health, safety, and welfare implications of licensure of design professionals.
Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the public health, safety, and welfare implications of licensure of design professionals.
Summary
This concurrent resolution expresses the sense of Congress regarding professional licensure for design occupations including architecture, engineering, surveying, and mapping. The resolution notes that all 50 states and territories have historically licensed design professionals, with surveying licensure beginning in California in 1891, architecture licensure in Illinois in 1897, and engineering licensure in Wyoming in 1907. The resolution acknowledges that some states are reducing or eliminating licensing requirements due to competition and regulatory concerns, but asserts that design professions are essential to infrastructure, economic prosperity, national security, and environmental protection. The resolution expresses Congress's sense that continuation of professional licensure for design occupations by the states is in the best interest of public health, safety, and welfare.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Sponsor (1)
- Rep. Joyce, John [R-PA-13] (R-PA)
2 cosponsors
Money behind the sponsor
Top reported contributors to John Joyce’s campaign committee (2024 cycle) — who funds the bill’s sponsor, not a claim about this bill. Data from FEC.
- NULL $43,900
- JWF INDUSTRIES $13,570
- SMITH TRANSPORT, INC $13,200
- NESL $13,200
- MARTIN'S FAMOUS PASTRY SHOPPE, INC $12,400
Organizations whose employees gave the most — itemized individual contributions grouped by the donor’s reported employer (FEC Schedule A). Full finance for John Joyce → · Outside spending →
Actions (2)
- Sep 4, 2025 Referred to the House Committee on Education and Workforce. · house
- Sep 4, 2025 Submitted in House
Similar bills (6)
Bills with similar text or summary — includes reintroductions across Congresses. Ranked by semantic similarity of the bill text (computed locally); a neutral discovery aid, not a claim the bills are duplicates.
Text versions (1)
Bills are re-published as they move (Introduced → Reported → Engrossed → Enrolled …). Each stage below is a separate text; pick two to see what changed. Data from Congress.gov.
Full text
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
September 4, 2025
Mr. Joyce of Pennsylvania submitted the following concurrent resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce
CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
Expressing the sense of Congress regarding the public health, safety, and welfare implications of licensure of design professionals.
Whereas the several States have traditionally licensed individuals in the practice of certain design occupations, with California having passed the first surveying licensure law in 1891, Illinois having passed the first architecture licensing law in 1897, and Wyoming having passed the first engineering licensure law in 1907; Whereas all 50 States, as well as territories and possessions, license individuals in the design profession disciplines; Whereas the National Transportation Safety Board has recognized the importance of professional licensing among certain design professions, most recently in NTSB/PSR-18/02, an incident safety report regarding a natural gas distribution system in the northeast region of the Merrimack Valley, Massachusetts; Whereas, more than 30 years ago, Congress recognized the importance of professional licensing in design disciplines in its report titled “Structural Failures in Public Facilities” (H. Rept. 98-61), which recommended “all necessary architectural and engineering design and on- site services in public construction projects are furnished by licensed professionals who are qualified and experienced to assure the construction of safe structures”; and Whereas many States are reducing requirements for, or eliminating the licensing of, certain occupations due to concerns over competition, market entry, and overregulation that do not serve the public interest, but in many cases the aforementioned State actions do not distinguish those professional design occupations in which licensing has a significant benefit to public health, safety, and welfare: Now, therefore, be it Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate concurring), That it is the sense of Congress that—
(1) occupations in design professions, including but not limited to architecture, engineering, surveying, and mapping, are essential to the integrity of the built and natural environment and critical to the successful research, planning, design, construction, development, alteration, repair, operation, and maintenance of real property, the Nation’s physical infrastructure, and resource planning activities, including the assessment, location, and development of critical materials, that contribute to maintaining the country’s economic prosperity, national security, and environmental protection; and
(2) continuation of licensure of such occupations and professions by the several States is in the best interest of public health, safety, and welfare. <all>
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