ACEC Idaho and the Idaho QBS Facilitators Council have successfully passed an update to the QBS law in Idaho.

Idaho has had a strong QBS statute for more than 35 years, but last year a stakeholder group questioned the need for QBS and suggested that a significant price component be added to the qualifying process.

ACEC Idaho and the Idaho QBS Facilitators Council, which represents all the design professional associations and several Idaho agencies, worked through the second half of 2020 to educate the the legislature and the public on the core benefits of QBS and to gain input on improvements that would not destroy the law’s intent.

It was a team effort, including ACEC/ID Lobbyist Jeremy Chou of Givens Pursley; ACEC/ID Government Affairs Chairman Paul Wasser of STRATA, Inc; QBS Facilitators Council Chair Tim Haener of J-U-B Engineers, Inc.; both current ACEC/ID and QBS Facilitators Council Executive Director Liz Conner and past Executive Director Teri Ottens; Idaho AGC CEO Wayne Hammond; and ACEC National Senior Vice President for Advocacy Steve Hall.

The result is a bill that not only addresses the concerns of stakeholders to strengthen the law but reaffirms that QBS is “the right way” to hire design professionals.