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Bill

GM 1164

Informing the Legislature that on May 29, 2026, the Governor signed the following bill into law: SB2607 SD1 HD1 CD1 (ACT 064).

2026 Regular Session

Hawaii now lets the state board set education, exam, and experience requirements for landscape architect licensure to align with CLARB national standards.

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Bill Summary · GM 1164

Overview

  • Bill: SB2607, SD1, HD1, CD1 (ACT 064)
  • Jurisdiction: Hawaii
  • Enacted: May 29, 2026
  • Purpose: Authorize the Hawaii Board of Professional Engineers, Architects, Surveyors, and Landscape Architects (the board) to determine appropriate education and examination requirements for landscape architect licensure in Hawaii, and to clarify corresponding experience requirements.

Main purpose and intent

  • The act places landscape architect licensure determinations under the authority of the board (which already governs engineers, architects, and surveyors).
  • It aligns Hawaii with the Uniform Licensure Standard for Landscape Architecture developed in 2022 by the Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB), an organization of licensure boards across the U.S. and Canada.
  • The bill aims to ensure Hawaii’s licensure standards for landscape architects reflect nationally recognized standards and are administered by the state board best positioned to determine eligibility.

Key provisions and changes

  • Section 1 – Policy and purpose

    • Confirms the board’s authority to determine appropriate educational and examination requirements for landscape architect licensure in Hawaii.
    • Establishes that the board may implement standards it deems appropriate.
    • Explicitly authorizes the board to determine licensure education, examination, and experience requirements.

  • Section 2 – Definitions

    • Adds a definition for “Board” to refer to the board of professional engineers, architects, surveyors, and landscape architects (as established in Hawaii Revised Statutes §464-6).

  • Section 3 – Licensure qualifications for multiple professions

    • Amends and clarifies licensure qualification language for:
    • Professional Engineer
    • Professional Architect
    • Professional Land Surveyor
    • Professional Landscape Architect
    • For each profession, the statute consolidates and clarifies pathways based on:
    • Existing unexpired licenses from other jurisdictions, and/or
    • Education (degrees from approved institutions) and related professional experience, plus passing written examinations, and
    • Intern development program (IDP) requirements where applicable.
    • Landscape Architect-specific provisions (new or clarified) include:
    • Education pathways (bachelor’s, master’s, or related degrees from board-approved programs) with required years of professional experience and passing examinations.
    • For certain pathways, mandatory completion of the National Council of Landscape Architecture Registration Boards (NCLARB) intern development program or an equivalent approved program.
    • Credit toward experience for schooling completed at non-board-approved schools or for degrees in related fields, with specified credit limits.
    • Written examinations testing knowledge of the State’s climate, native plants and ecosystems, land use and SMA (Special Management Area) requirements, and cultural/historical considerations.
    • Additional licensure criteria include honesty, truthfulness, financial integrity, and fair dealing.

  • Section 4 – Effective date

    • The act does not affect rights, duties, penalties, or proceedings that matured or began before its effective date.
    • Takes effect upon approval.

  • Section 5–7 – Technical and operative provisions

    • Revisions to statutory language are bracketed/undocumented where applicable.
    • Sets forth that statutory material to be repealed is bracketed; new material is underscored.
    • Confirms the act takes effect upon the Governor’s approval.

Who would be affected

  • Landscape architects seeking licensure in Hawaii.
  • The board of professional engineers, architects, surveyors, and landscape architects (the licensing authority) that would implement and administer landscape architecture licensure standards.
  • Educational institutions offering landscape architecture programs (as standards may rely on CLARB guidelines and board-approved curricula).
  • Applicants with licenses from other jurisdictions seeking Hawaii licensure, who would be subject to the board’s determinations of equivalency, examinations, and IDP requirements.

Procedural and timeline aspects

  • The bill was approved by the Governor on May 29, 2026 (Act 064) and took effect upon approval.
  • It references alignment with the CLARB Uniform Licensure Standards (2022), indicating an intent to harmonize Hawaii’s requirements with national benchmarks.
  • The act requires applicants to pass specified written examinations and, for many pathways, participate in or be credited for the intern development program.

Notable impacts

  • Potentially revised licensure timelines for landscape architects depending on education pathway and exposure to IDP requirements.
  • Increased consistency with national standards for landscape architecture licensure.
  • Enhanced board authority to determine state-specific educational and examination prerequisites, subject to approved curricula and regulatory rules.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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