Over the past year, the Government Advocacy Committee has been actively involved in a number of issues, including architectural licensure in Wyoming and new rules being considered by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). They are considering opening licensure to individuals who lack accredited architectural degrees but have traveled alternative paths or internships and can pass the Architecture Registration Examination (ARE). NCARB is currently in the study phase of this issue and may need several more years to gather the necessary data. Currently, the committee is monitoring and discussing three additional issues. Protecting Homeownership At the national level, the committee is monitoring the Stop Predatory Investing Act bill, which is being considered in the 119th U.S. Congress. In the coming years, a movie may be made about the exponential increase in bank- and institution-owned homes since 2008, which led to a banking crisis that swept the United States. Presented here are samples of such bills preventing the conditions currently impacting the financial and lending markets. The federal Stop Predatory Investing Act is a bill proposed to deny interest/depreciation deductions for investors acquiring 50 or more single-family rental homes. There are also several similar state bills in process or pending. For example, Minnesota HF 685/SF 365 limits corporations, LLCs, and investment funds from purchasing or renting more than 10 single-family homes. New Mexico prefilled a bill in 2025 that would ban private equity/corporate entities from buying single-family homes. In Nebraska, Justin Wayne’s bill prohibits out-of-state corporations, hedge funds, and other entities from purchasing single-family homes unless the principal members reside in Nebraska. The Government Advocacy Committee is discussing how to approach this issue and help initiate conversations so that the Wyoming legislature is aware and can begin a discussion to prepare and pass bills that protect homeownership and the financial health of local communities. Improving Document Quality The second issue the committee is studying is the apparent decline in the quality of construction documents being issued by architects and engineers. At the AIA Wyoming Conference held in April, the Board met with a representative from the Wyoming Game and Fish Department who indicated that there has been a continual decline in the completeness and coordination of construction documents over the last several years. The committee is considering leading or participating in a study group of design professionals, contractors, facilities personnel and owners to determine root causes of the decline and possible solutions to help practitioners assemble better document sets. Securing Construction Funding Finally, as part of our ongoing advocacy efforts, the AIA Wyoming Government Advocacy Committee is joining fellow AEC professionals in urging the Wyoming legislature and Joint Appropriations Committee to restore and maintain a consistent capital construction budget. This funding is vital to the health of our communities, the stability of our economy and the sustainability of our profession. The construction industry contributes significantly to Wyoming’s GDP and workforce, and the absence of a capital construction bill over the past two sessions has created serious challenges — resulting in compressed timelines, inflated costs and unpredictable workloads for architects, engineers and contractors alike. We are also advocating for a dependable annual maintenance schedule for state-owned assets to ensure long-term infrastructure integrity and fiscal responsibility. A stable capital construction budget is not just about buildings; it’s about investing in the people and communities who rely on this work to thrive. We encourage all members to stay engaged and support this critical initiative for the future of our state and profession. Being a part of the Government Advocacy Committee is a great way to stay on top of the issues that our industry faces. We welcome our members and industry partners to join the committee, join our meetings or just inform us of pending issues in the design and construction world. Government Advocacy Committee Issues on Our Radar BY DALE BUCKINGHAM, AIA AND LEWIS MATTHEW MILLER, AIA Committee Members: Lewis Matthew Miller, AIA Brandon Daigle, AIA Will Wedemeyer, AIA Cornelius Kinsey, AIA Will Wheatley, AIA Lyle Murtha, AIA Dale Buckingham, AIA 10 WYOMING ARCHITECTURE .25
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