History of IDLNY
1984 - 1990
1984
Under the guidance of Ruth Lynford, Interior Designers for Legislation in New York (IDLNY) was founded and incorporated in the State of New York for the purpose of defining and promoting interior design as a licensed, recognized, legal profession in New York State. The IDLNY coalition began with six organizations: ASID New York Metropolitan Chapter, ASID New York Upstate/Canada East Chapter, The Institute of Business Designers (IBD), National Home Fashion League (NHFL), National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) and the Decorators Club.
1985
In September of 1985, Kerwin Kettler, then Dean of New York School of Interior Design (NYSID), researched, collected and produced four and a half pounds of scholarly data to substantiate the fact that the health, safety & welfare of the public is, and always will be, impacted by the practice of Interior Design. This document, “The Eighteen Questions on Legal Regulation: Notes on Licensing Interior Design, Collated Information Regarding Interior Design’s History as well as the Growing Impact of Interior Design,” provided the background information needed to support IDLNY in its efforts toward licensure.
1986
IDLNY raised funds to hire a Lobbyist and Public Relations firm, called Howard Rubenstein. The goal in hiring a Lobbyist and Public Relations firm was help to oversee the draft bill editing and submit the draft bill to the New York State legislature that introduced Interior Design as a Title Act.
1988
In March the first draft Title Act bill was introduced to the New York State Legislature.
In July the draft Title Act bill passed the New York State Assembly but stalled in the Senate.
1989
In January the Title Act draft bill was reintroduced.
At the end of the 1989 legislative session, the draft Title Act bill had still not been acted on by both of the New York State legislative houses.
1990
After more than five years of bill drafting, editing, negotiations, many trips to Albany and overcoming opposition, IDLNY had enough support to pursue a cohesive Title Act with two strong Sponsors of the bill – Assemblyman Oliver Koppel and Senator Kenneth LaValle.
The bill was written less than three days before the New York State Legislature adjourned. It was reintroduced to and passed by both New York legislative houses.
On Sunday, July 1, 1990 the bill passed unanimously in the Assembly at midnight.
On Monday, July 2, 1990, the bill reached the Senate at 12AM - after many hours and last minute negotiations, the bill was finally voted on in the Senate at 7am. IDLNY founder Ruth Lynford was alone except for Michael Garabedian, key staff person in Assemblyman Oliver Koppel’s office. The pair was sitting in the balcony of the Senate when the gavel came down and IDLNY achieved its first victory, a Title Act supporting Interior Design as the 33rd profession in the state of New York.
On Monday, July 2, 1990, Governor Mario Cuomo signed the Title Act into law and Interior Design became the 33rd recognized profession in New York State. The Title Act created the formal criteria of who could be called a Certified Interior Designer (CID), in New York State.
