State Board of Architecture and advisory committees review licensure updates, rule changes and efficiency analysis

RIDGELAND, Miss. — The Mississippi State Board of Architecture met jointly with its Landscape Architecture Advisory Committee and Interior Design Advisory Committee on Jan. 21, 2026, to review rule and statutory proposals, licensure updates and an efficiency analysis of small boards and commissions. The meeting began at 3:35 p.m. and adjourned at 5:00 p.m.

John Cothron, executive director of the State Board of Architecture, and board and advisory members presented the BOA report, which highlighted proposed board legislation to amend Mississippi Code Annotated §§ 73-1-19 and 73-2-5, efforts to strengthen code enforcement across the state, recent BOA rule changes and outreach to licensees and students. Members discussed potential changes to reciprocity or alternative paths to licensure and noted recent updates to the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards' Architectural Experience Program (AXP). The report also flagged concerns about the fraudulent use of professional seals.

LAAC members, also reporting through Mr. Cothron, summarized recent landscape-architecture rule changes and outreach efforts. The committee discussed the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards' (CLARB) focus on implementing a uniform standard for licensure, addressing practice overlap with other design disciplines and exploring global opportunities; CLARB bylaws changes were noted.

IDAC members reviewed interior-design matters, reporting an increase in state certificate holders and describing recent Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ) initiatives, including an interior-design educator scholarship. Members noted that more states have recently enacted laws regulating interior designers and that CIDQ bylaws have changed.

The group reviewed the State Auditor's December 2025 efficiency analysis of small boards and commissions to assess governance and operational implications for the BOA and its advisory committees. Members also examined the Practice Overlap Guidance prepared by the Interorganizational Council on Regulation (ICOR) and were told that questions or comments may be submitted to ICOR for consideration.

Mr. Cothron reviewed pending legislation affecting the BOA, LAAC and IDAC; the transcript lists proposed statutory changes but does not record any formal vote or motion on those measures during this meeting. Members reviewed the 2026 meeting schedule before adjourning by unanimous consent at 5:00 p.m.

The minutes of the joint meeting list BOA members Larry Bishop, Leigh Jaunsen, Bradford Jones and Richard H. McNeel present, with Charles C. Barlow Jr. absent; IDAC and LAAC membership and videoconference attendees are noted in the record. The meeting minutes were prepared by John Cothron on Jan. 26, 2026.