Subcommittee restores fair‑housing training requirement for appraisers, reports bill 10–0
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Summary
A substitute restoring language that requires appraisal licensure applicants to complete at least two hours of fair‑housing and appraisal‑bias training was adopted and the bill reported unanimously; sponsor cited appraisal bias and low diversity in the appraisal industry.
A substitute offered to add training language from a prior body passed in previous years was adopted by the subcommittee. The substitute requires applicants for appraisal licensure to complete anti‑discrimination and fair‑housing instruction approved by fair‑housing experts and the Fair Housing Board as part of their initial and continuing education for appraisal licensure.
The sponsor noted research and recent incidents pointing to appraisal bias that can widen racial wealth gaps and said the Appraisal Foundation's new qualification criteria (effective earlier this year) support the proposal. Housing and industry groups including Housing Opportunities Made Equal, Realtors and the Home Builders Association testified in support of the training requirement, saying it aligns state licensure with national standards.
The subcommittee voted to report the bill with the substitute; the clerk recorded a vote of 10 to 0.