**The following is a note from the Virginia Association of Real Estate Inspectors (VAREI) President and Lobbyist. The HB741 is expected to get heard by General House Laws Subcommittee #4 on Thursday.**If you are not a member, please consider joining today and support VAREI. (VAREI members volunteer their time but the lobbyist does not). If you are not Certified by Virginia DPOR yet you should get it done before the law changes in 2017. If you need more information about the bill go to the VAREI website and read more.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Following is the information for you about the home inspector licensing from Robb Bohannon of Hunton & Williams. Robb is the lobbyist for VAREI in Richmond.
Dear VAREI Members:
As you are aware, we have been working with the Virginia Association of Realtors (VAR) and Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR) on legislation that would allow certified home inspectors to become licensed in the Commonwealth, without additional onerous requirements. We negotiated a bill that we believe provides home inspectors the most appropriate path to licensure, without any added undue burden. I'm honored and privileged to have worked with your association leadership on this endeavor, and look forward to working this bill through the legislative process on your behalf.
Specifically, the bill provides that certified home inspectors who hold an unexpired certificate prior to June 30, 2017 will be issued a license to practice as a home inspector, effective July 1, 2017. There are no additional educational, experience, or examination requirements, and home inspectors who are not currently certified will have nearly 18 months to gain certification, should they want to become automatically licensed in 2017.
Per last year's legislation, home inspectors wishing to perform inspections on new residential structures will still be required to complete the training module developed by the Board in conjunction with the Department of Housing and Community Development. However, that requirement has been pushed back a year, and will not be mandatory until July 1, 2017.
House Bill 741 and its identical companion bill Senate Bill 453 (both attached) have been filed by Delegate Jackson Miller (R-Manassas) and Senator Bill Stanley (R-Franklin) respectively for the 2016 Virginia General Assembly session, and will be heard in the coming weeks by the House and Senate General Laws Committees.
I am aware of several drafting errors within the bills that we are working to resolve with VAR, which will be done before the bills are heard by their committees of jurisdiction. There is no disagreement on the issues - just a need to clean up the language and ensure the bill is written the way it was discussed between VAR and VAREI.
Please call or e-mail your elected members of the Virginia House of Delegates and Virginia Senate to express support for these bills. When contacting your representatives, please include the following points:
This legislation was drafted in conjunction with the Virginia Association of Realtors, and is supported by the Virginia Association of Real Estate Inspectors, as a reasonable means to promote professionalism in our industry and to ensure home buyers are working with skilled and proficient home inspectors.
This legislation reflects existing requirements for voluntary home inspector certification, which utilize national industry standards to determine competency, and makes them mandatory.
Regulation and oversight will continue to come from the Virginia Board for Asbestos, Lead, and Home Inspectors.
If you are unsure of who your elected state legislators are, please visithttps://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__whosmy.virginiageneralassembly.gov_&d=CwIC-g&c=jxhwBfk-KSV6FFIot0PGng&r=k8x7uM6QDD570XaJz4ZSM1kPLiUGGd31DnYlChxt86Y&m=C1xbVrBvbHzH7OOJD6Oog9xuoYmZ_4ShjOrh5rt1RrA&s=Bh_LSbUQFIxLiQavxhyyZpivBu0fCWn_5K2Q5dLdJL0&e= and enter your home address. E-mails and phone numbers for these officials are included on the web site.
Sincerely,
Robb Bohannon
Director, Government Affairs
Hunton & Williams LLP