The 88th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, began January 10, 2023, and ended May 29, 2023. This session opened with the Texas Appraiser Licensing Board (TALCB) following 358 bills relevant to the administration of the agency. A much smaller number became law, including Senate Bills 1222 and 1577.
Appraiser Experience
PAREA
1222 clarifies that a license is not required to obtain experience through Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal (PAREA).
The Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) adopted the PAREA program in 2020 in response to appraisal trainees’ difficulty in finding supervisory appraisers. PAREA offers practical experience through a range of online and virtual reality technology for licensed residential and certified residential appraisers.
TALCB is working on obtaining more information on PAREA launches and will provide updates when new information is released. Preliminary information can be found online.
Submitting experience
1222 removes the requirement that an affidavit be included in experience submission, simplifying the application process. It also clarifies that experience submitted by appraiser applicants must be compliant with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP).
Investigating AMCs
The Texas Appraisal Management Company Registration and Regulation Act now has an extra layer of transparency in the AMC complaint process. TALCB now can create an investigative committee that works in a similar way to the peer investigative review process that is currently used by appraisers.
Study Guides for Licensing Exams
1222 removes the outdated requirement that TALCB develop study guides for the National Uniform Appraiser Licensing and Certification Examination, which is developed by the Appraiser Qualifications Board.
Exam prep courses are offered by many education providers, who are better equipped to prepare prospective students. Information on the exam can be found online by The Appraisal Foundation.
Updating Commissioner’s Title
Under current TALCB statute, the executive director of the agency is referred to as the “commissioner.” SB 1577 changes this to match the TREC statute by replacing the “commissioner” title with “executive director.” This statutory change does not affect the role of this position.
TALCB’s current executive director is Chelsea Buchholtz. Her professional biography is posted on TALCB’s website.
When will These Laws go Into Effect?
SB 1222 and 1577 were made law when signed by Texas Governor Greg Abbott on May 19. 1222 goes into effect September 1, 2023. 1577 goes into effect January 1, 2024.
TALCB will begin the process of updating the agency’s current rules in accordance with the above statutory changes, over the next several months, to include seeking stakeholder input.
The above information is a summary of both SB 1577 and SB 1222. The entire language of each bill is linked to this article.