PAC Competition Ends Soon

The AIA Virginia PAC is one of the sharpest tools in our advocacy toolkit. The AIA Virginia PAC Award celebrates the engagement and commitment of a local AIA component that supports the advancement and mission of the PAC. The winning component goes home with $1,000 cash for Architecture Week/Month and the award trophy at Architecture Exchange East in November. AIA Blue Ridge took home the cash and trophy for 2023.

Points are accrued in three areas: local component Board participation, the percentage of local component’s membership who have invested in the PAC, and the total amount of money invested by the members of the local component.

Current Leaderboard:
AIA Blue Ridge – 60 points
AIA Central Virginia – 60 points
AIA Coastal Virginia – 40 points
AIA Richmond – 10 points
AIA Northern Virginia – 0 points

Points are allocated as follows:

  1. Local component Board participation
    a. Did 100% of the Board of Directors invest in the AIA Virginia PAC?
    i. Yes = 20 points
    ii. No = 0 points
  2. Percentage of local component members who have invested in the AIA Virginia PAC
    i. Component with highest % = 40 points
    ii. Component with second highest % = 20 points
    iii. Component with third highest % = 10 points
  3. Average investment per member from the total local component membership
    i. Component with highest average investment/member = 40 points
    ii. Component with second highest average investment/member = 30 points
    iii. Component with third highest average investment/member = 20 points
    iv. Component with fourth highest average investment/member = 10 points
    v. Component with fifth highest average investment/member = 0 points

Scoring will be closed on Friday, October 11, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. EST.

PAC Award Update

The AIA Virginia PAC is one of the sharpest tools in our advocacy toolkit. The AIA Virginia PAC Award celebrates the engagement and commitment of a local AIA component that supports the advancement and mission of the PAC. The winning component goes home with $1,000 cash for Architecture Week/Month and the award trophy at Architecture Exchange East in November. AIA Blue Ridge took home the cash and trophy for 2023.

Points are accrued in three areas: local component Board participation, the percentage of local component’s membership who have invested in the PAC, and the total amount of money invested by the members of the local component.

Current Leaderboard:
AIA Blue Ridge – 80 points
AIA Central Virginia – 40 points
AIA Coastal Virginia – 40 points
AIA Richmond – 10 points
AIA Northern Virginia – 0 points

Points are allocated as follows:

  1. Local component Board participation
    a. Did 100% of the Board of Directors invest in the AIA Virginia PAC?
    i. Yes = 20 points
    ii. No = 0 points
  2. Percentage of local component members who have invested in the AIA Virginia PAC
    i. Component with highest % = 40 points
    ii. Component with second highest % = 20 points
    iii. Component with third highest % = 10 points
  3. Average investment per member from the total local component membership
    i. Component with highest average investment/member = 40 points
    ii. Component with second highest average investment/member = 30 points
    iii. Component with third highest average investment/member = 20 points
    iv. Component with fourth highest average investment/member = 10 points
    v. Component with fifth highest average investment/member = 0 points

Scoring will be closed on Friday, October 11, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. EST.

Make your investment today at www.aiavapac.org

Colley Reappointed to APELSCIDLA

We are very happy to announce that Tim Colley, AIA was recently reappointed by the Governor to the APELSCIDLA Board. The Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects (APELSCIDLA) examines, licenses, and regulates approximately 35,000 individuals and related business entities in Virginia. Helene Combs Dreiling, FAIA and Erik Bootsma, RA continue their dedicated service as the other architects on that board. Gratitude to each and all of them. Your service is much appreciated.

PAC Award Update

The AIA Virginia PAC is one of the sharpest tools in our advocacy toolkit. The AIA Virginia PAC Award celebrates the engagement and commitment of a local AIA component that supports the advancement and mission of the PAC. The winning component goes home with $1,000 cash for Architecture Week/Month and the award trophy at Architecture Exchange East in November. AIA Blue Ridge took home the cash and trophy for 2023.

Points are accrued in three areas: local component Board participation, the percentage of local component’s membership who have invested in the PAC, and the total amount of money invested by the members of the local component.

Current Leaderboard:
AIA Blue Ridge – 80 points
AIA Central Virginia – 40 points
AIA Coastal Virginia – 30 points
AIA Richmond – 20 points
AIA Northern Virginia – 0 points

Points are allocated as follows:

  1. Local component Board participation
    a. Did 100% of the Board of Directors invest in the AIA Virginia PAC?
    i. Yes = 20 points
    ii. No = 0 points
  2. Percentage of local component members who have invested in the AIA Virginia PAC
    i. Component with highest % = 40 points
    ii. Component with second highest % = 20 points
    iii. Component with third highest % = 10 points
  3. Average investment per member from the total local component membership
    i. Component with highest average investment/member = 40 points
    ii. Component with second highest average investment/member = 30 points
    iii. Component with third highest average investment/member = 20 points
    iv. Component with fourth highest average investment/member = 10 points
    v. Component with fifth highest average investment/member = 0 points

Scoring will be closed on Friday, October 11, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. EST.

Make your investment today at www.aiavapac.org

Support the PAC – Win $1,000 for your Chapter

The AIA Virginia PAC is one of the sharpest tools in our advocacy toolkit. The AIA Virginia PAC Award celebrates the engagement and commitment of a local AIA component that supports the advancement and mission of the PAC. The winning component goes home with $1,000 cash for Architecture Week/Month and the award trophy at Architecture Exchange East in November. AIA Blue Ridge took home the cash and trophy for 2023.

Points are accrued in three areas: local component Board participation, the percentage of local component’s membership who have invested in the PAC, and the total amount of money invested by the members of the local component.

Current Leaderboard:
AIA Blue Ridge – 80 points
AIA Central Virginia – 50 points
AIA Richmond – 30 points
AIA Northern Virginia – 10 points
AIA Hampton Roads – 0 points

Points are allocated as follows:

  1. Local component Board participation
    a. Did 100% of the Board of Directors invest in the AIA Virginia PAC?
    i. Yes = 20 points
    ii. No = 0 points
  2. Percentage of local component members who have invested in the AIA Virginia PAC
    i. Component with highest % = 40 points
    ii. Component with second highest % = 20 points
    iii. Component with third highest % = 10 points
  3. Average investment per member from the total local component membership
    i. Component with highest average investment/member = 40 points
    ii. Component with second highest average investment/member = 30 points
    iii. Component with third highest average investment/member = 20 points
    iv. Component with fourth highest average investment/member = 10 points
    v. Component with fifth highest average investment/member = 0 points

Scoring will be closed on Friday, October 11, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. EST.

Make your investment today at www.aiavapac.org

Advocacy Update: at (very close to) the End of the General Assembly Session

Some rapid-fire updates on advocacy efforts…

An Advocacy Summit was held on Thursday, March 14. We spent the time reviewing our activities and discussing how we can more effectively pursue our interests at both the State and Federal levels. Thanks to all who participated. The fruit of those discussions will begin to emerge shortly.

Some of those opportunities to engage, along with an update on the results of the General Assembly session, will be highlighted during an Advocacy Town Hall Meeting via Zoom from 3-4 p.m. on Wednesday, April 24. 1 LU (pending) Register here>> https://www.aiava.org/event/advocacy-town-hall/

The Joint Legislative Committee (the JLC; composed of members from AIA Virginia and ACEC Virginia) did a great job marshaling the bills. We’ll review the outcome more fully during the Advocacy Town Hall. But here are some bills that we supported, have passed, and are due to become law on July 1, 2024:

  • Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credits (HB 960, SB 556): increases the maximum credit per year from $5M to $7.5M (without establishing an annual cap on the overall program)
  • Single Stair Study (HB 368, SB 195): directs DHCD to convene an advisory group to study the possibility of allowing Group R-2 occupancies to be served by a single exit in buildings not more than six stories above the grade plane
  • APELSCIDLA Quorum (HB 350): lowers the quorum requirement of the Board so that the progress of the Board is impeded less frequently

No advocacy update would be complete without a request to support the AIA Virginia PAC. Contributions can be made here www.aiavapac.org  

Gubernatorial Appointments with Secretary Gee

A Call for Service – and a Zoom Session on Gubernatorial Appointments with Secretary Gee

Many of our members currently serve in positions that require appointment by the Governor. Gratitude and appreciation to those who have served and to those who are serving now: Angelo Phillos, AIA (Fair Housing Board), Lynden Garland, AIA and Anca Lipan, AIA (Art and Architecture Review Board), Jonah Margarella, AIA (State Building Code Technical Review Board), Paula Loomis, FAIA (Secure and Resilient Commonwealth Panel), and Helene Dreiling, FAIA and Tim Colley, AIA (APELSCIDLA).

In the near future, opportunities will be available to serve on the Art and Architecture Review Board and the APELSCIDLA Board.  Terms are anticipated to commence on 1 July 2024.

If you would like to know more about the opportunities, the eligibility requirements, and the application process, know that Secretary of the Commonwealth Kelly Gee will be joining us on Wednesday 27 March, from 2:30 to 3 PM.

Register for the online session here>> 

Now onto the Senate: Pressing for a Fix to the Amortization of the R&D Tax Credits

Two urgent dates concerning AIA members are approaching. The first is March 22nd when the Congress must pass a second round of appropriations bills to fund the government and avoid a partial government shutdown. The second is April 15th when federal income tax filings are due.  

These two dates are important for action on HR 7024, the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024. This bill can either be added to the government funding bills being considered this week or brought up for a stand-alone vote in the United States Senate. Either result will head to the President, become law, and the IRS can begin to enact its provisions to benefit architects.  

AIA National is organizing a call-in campaign to urge the Senate to move forward and pass the bill without further delay. On Wednesday, March 20th, we are asking you to call your Senators and let them know you support the R&D and LIHTC provisions in the bill, briefly explain why these provisions are important to you, ask them to urge their leadership to bring the bill up for a vote, and ask them to vote in favor of the bill without amendments.  

Sample Call Script: 

Hello, my name is _____ and I am an architect in your state and a member of The American Institute of Architects. May I please speak to the staff person who handles HR 7024, the R&D tax bill, for the Senator?  

When referred to staffer: 

Intro: 

Reintroduce yourself to the staffer. I am calling today to ask Senator _____ to support HR 7024.  

Brief Talking Points: 

There are over 19,000 small, medium, and large architecture firms throughout the US. These businesses employ more than 200,000 individuals. Architects have a professional responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Investments in research and development are central to the day-to-day work of architects and drive local, regional, and national economies. AIA supports business-friendly tax policies that encourage investment in research and development, incentivize private-sector affordable housing, and ensure tax parity between large and small businesses. If Congress does not enact the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 (HR 7024), architecture firms of all sizes will be harmed. Firms will continue to be subject to unfair financial burdens that will result in job losses, firm closures, or restrict their ability to innovate, grow, and attract new talent.  

Ask: 

As an architect in your state and a member of AIA, I am asking the Senator to urge Senate Leadership (Senator Schumer and Senator McConnell) to bring the bill to the floor for a vote and for the Senator to vote in favor of HR 7024 without amendments that would delay the enactment of this bill. Does the Senator have a position on this bill? [Note and share the response with GovAffs@aia.org.] 

Closing: 

Thank you for your time and consideration of this important bill for architects in your state. 

Background 

There are over 19,000 small, medium, and large architecture firms throughout the US. These businesses employ more than 200,000 individuals. Architects have a professional responsibility to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the public. Investments in research and development are central to the day-to-day work of architects and drive local, regional, and national economies. AIA supports business-friendly tax policies that encourage investment in research and development, incentivize private-sector affordable housing, and ensure tax parity between large and small businesses. If Congress does not enact the Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act of 2024 (HR 7024), architecture firms of all sizes will face undue restrictions on their ability to innovate, grow, and attract new talent.  

Key Provisions to Expire in 2025 

Research & Development Tax Credit  

The 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) requires businesses to amortize R&D costs over 5 or 15 years for domestic and international expenses, respectively. Prior to 2022, these expenses were fully deducted in the year they were incurred. Amortization adversely impacts businesses by increasing costs, negatively impacting employee retention, and new job creation, and limiting future investment in research and development. AIA supports HR 7024 changes that allow tax deductions of R&D expenses in the year incurred.  

Low-Income Housing Tax Credit  

LIHTC is the largest provider of new affordable housing in the United States, with over 2 million total units created and more than 110,000 affordable rental units constructed annually since its establishment in 1986. Congress sets a limit on the amount of LIHTC that can be allocated to states based on a per-capita formula. HR 7024 restores the 12.5% increase over this base allocation for 2023-2025 and lowers the tax-exempt bond financing requirement. AIA supports these changes which will fund more affordable housing developments. 

Please let the Federal Affairs team know if you have any questions by reaching out to GovAffs@aia.org.  

Thank you, 
Federal Affairs Team 

Advocacy Update; Hill Day in DC

Our efforts in the Commonwealth were complemented by our work in DC.

Thanks to those who stomped the hill on Wednesday 28 February during the AIA Leadership Summit. Our delegation included representatives from across Virginia; from both the state level and each of the local chapters.

We advocated for three primary issues. 

The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act (HR7024) includes provisions to allow businesses to deduct R&D costs fully in the year they are incurred (rather than being required to amortize them), restores the 12.5% increase and lowers the tax-exempt bond financing requirements of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, and also allows “pass-through” entities to deduct up to 20% of qualified business income to bring parity with reduced corporate income tax rates.

The Democracy in Design Act (HR964/S366) seeks to prohibit a national design style – as had been proposed through an Executive Order issued by the previous administration.

We also asked our elected officials to contact the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Council and request that they issue a policy clarification stipulating that the 6% fee limitation applies only to cost-plus-a-fixed fee contracts, and that A/E services ought to be negotiated in accordance with the Brooks Act of 1972, which established Qualification Based Selection (QBS), and provides the basis for negotiating fair and reasonable fees with the most qualified firm.

We also took the opportunity to inform the members of our congressional delegation about our considerable resiliency efforts across the Commonwealth.

We are developing plans to return to DC long before the next Leadership Summit and to maintain connections with our federal officials in-district – to keep those relationships vibrant and active.

Advocacy Update; the Virginia General Assembly

It ain’t over ‘til it’s over. And we still have eggs, rather than chickens – with one exception. But the soprano is beginning to hum her scales.

The Virginia General Assembly adjourned sine die on 9 March 2024.  Gratitude is due to the members of the JLC; Rebecca Aarons-Sydnor, Assoc AIA, Ed Gillikin, AIA, Lauren Sughrue, Assoc AIA, and Stephen Weisensale, AIA, the delegation from ACEC Virginia, and our faithful partner and counsel Patrick Cushing, Esq. Additional gratitude to those who asked questions and shared your expertise and perspective along the way.

The bills that have passed are now being considered by the Governor; who may either sign them into law, amend them, or veto them. While the Governor issued a statement to say “[t]hank you to all 140 legislators that made the huge commitment, sacrificing time away from their families, their careers and their livelihoods, to serve the Commonwealth and all Virginians,” he added “[t]he General Assembly sent me more than a thousand bills plus backward budgets that need a lot of work. We’re going to have a busy 30 days going into the reconvene session.” That reconvene session would run 17 to 24 April. So we shall see.

Some notes on a few of the bills we were tracking more closely…

We (lightly) opposed SB409. This bill sought to allow a locality to adopt more stringent energy efficiency and climate requirements. And these are generally good things. But it sought to do so through a legislative rather than a more appropriate regulatory process, and, as a “stretch code,” it ran contrary to the uniformity of the Uniform Statewide Building Code. The bill failed in committee before crossover.

We supported several bills that preserve and promote the historic integrity of the built environment.  HB1415 allowed for the adoption of a civil penalty for the razing, demolition, or moving of a building or structure that is located in a historic district or that has been designated by a governing body as a historic structure or landmark. HB1395 provided that the filing of a historic designation application shall keep a locality from issuing any permit to raze or demolish a proposed historic landmark, building, or structure.  HB960 and SB556 proposed an increase to the Historic Rehabilitation Tax Credit (HRTC). After some minor drama, the amended versions of the bills increase the HRTC from $5M to $7.5M without adding a cap to the overall program. These bills have all passed and await action by the Governor.

You may recall the workgroup that was conducted over the summer to contemplate recommendations to procurement law concerning the CMAR delivery method.  In response to those recommendations, a number of bills were filed.  HB1108 and SB18 contained the least undesirable of those proposals. We supported those bills early in the session and then monitored developments as the coalition strained and became more fragile. Ultimately, the coalition held and those bills passed. They await action by the Governor.

HB368 and SB195 directs the Board of Housing and Community Development to convene a stakeholder advisory group, including firefighting professionals, to evaluate and recommend revisions to the Uniform Statewide Building Code to permit Group R-2 occupancies to be served by a single exit, provided that the building has not more than six stories above grade plane. We supported these bills and have lobbied to have an architect included in the advisory group. These bills have passed and await action by the Governor.

We also supported two bills that proposed changes to our regulatory boards; DPOR and APESLCIDLA.  HB350 reduced the quorum required to continue to conduct the progress of the board; an unfortunate but recurring issue. This bill passed and awaits the Governor’s signature. HB120 permits a distinction amongst the actions of the board such that certain suspensions, such as bouncing a check when renewing a license, are not bluntly reported as a disciplinary action – which could be construed as a more serious and substantial violation. That bill has been signed by the Governor and is now law; effective 1 July 2024.

Our role in defeating the NOIRA that sought to reduce regulations in the Building Code by twenty-five percent can also be numbered among our achievements.

We were afforded a particular opportunity when we were asked to participate in a meeting of the NOVA caucus. We were included in a panel to discuss affordable housing. I am grateful to the members who provided their expertise and experience so graciously – and on short notice – and learned me up so I could give voice to our positions and perspectives.

All in all – a good outing [so far]. Thanks to all who contributed; both directly and indirectly. Make your donation today at www.aiavapac.org