Iowa

Archive Public Archive
1

Originally Posted By: mbailey
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Iowa currently has pending legislation for home inspectors ? details as of April 1, 2003 are below:


Senate File 400 (formerly SF96) ? a bill for an act providing for the regulation and licensing of home inspectors.
The Iowa Senate Standing Committee approved this on March 17th, 2003.

House File 162 (HF162) - a bill for an act providing for the regulation and licensing of home inspectors.
Feb 11th, 2003 ? Introduced to the Iowa House Standing Committee, referred to Commerce,Regulations, and Labor.
Feb12th, 2003 ? Went to subcommittee.

The last day of Iowa legislative sessions is May 2nd, 2003.

Notable portions of legislation are noted below. Please follow the following link to view HF162 in its entirety - http://www.legis.state.ia.us/GA/80GA/Legislation/HF/00100/HF00162/030211.html

Excerpt from Sec. 3: HOME INSPECTION LICENSING BOARD ? CREATION ? MEMBERSHIP

Sec. 3. NEW SECTION. 543E.3 HOME INSPECTION LICENSING
BOARD ? CREATION ? MEMBERSHIP.
1. A home inspection licensing board is established within
the professional licensing and regulation division of the
department of commerce. The board shall consist of five
members each of which meets all of the following requirements:
a. Is a resident of the state.
b. Is a licensed home inspector.
c. Is a certified member of the Iowa association of home
inspectors.
d. Has been actively engaged in the business of making
home inspections in this state for at least five years.
e. Has performed not less than five hundred home
inspections during the five-year period immediately preceding
the member's appointment.

Proposed requirements for home inspector licensing:

Sec. 6. NEW SECTION. 543E.6 ELIGIBILITY FOR LICENSURE AS
HOME INSPECTOR.
To be eligible for licensure as a home inspector, an
applicant shall fulfill all of the following requirements:
1. Be of good moral character.
2. Successfully complete high school or its equivalent.
3. Acquire the training and experience required by the
board.
4. Pass the national home inspector examination or the
American society of home inspectors examination. An applicant
may meet this requirement by passing the national home
inspector or American society of home inspectors examination
prior to the effective date of this Act.
5. Be engaged as a licensed inspector in training for at
least one year, and perform at least two hundred fifty home
inspections for compensation in compliance with the standards
of practice and code of ethics of this chapter.

Sec. 7. NEW SECTION. 543E.7 REQUIREMENTS FOR LICENSURE
AS A HOME INSPECTOR IN TRAINING.
To be eligible for licensure as a home inspector in
training, an applicant shall fulfill all of the following
requirements:
1. Be of good moral character.
2. Successfully complete high school or its equivalent.
3. Pass an approved course of study, as prescribed by the
board.
4. Perform at least ten home inspections in the presence
of and under the direct supervision of a home inspector.
5. Pass the national home inspector examination or the
American society of home inspectors examination. An applicant
may meet this requirement by passing the national home
inspector or American society of home inspectors examination
prior to the effective date of this Act.

Sec. 11. NEW SECTION. 543E.11 LICENSURE OF PRACTICING
HOME INSPECTORS.
During the first three hundred sixty days after the
effective date of this Act, the board shall issue, upon
application, a home inspector license to a person who does all
of the following:
1. Meets the requirements of section 543E.6, subsections
1, 2, and 4.
2. Has engaged in the performance of home inspections for
compensation for at least three years prior to the effective
date of this Act.
3. Has performed at least three hundred home inspections
for compensation that conform to the standards of practice and
code of ethics set forth by the board pursuant to this
chapter.


Iowa Legislature Website-
http://www.legis.state.ia.us/

State Website ?
http://www.state.ia.us/

--
Mark Bailey
Stonegate Property Inspections LLC
Ponca, NE

2

Originally Posted By: dbush
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Mark, can you still get the ASHI references out of the legislation? My other main concern would be the training/experience required by the board not being more specific. What is the board makeup? Is it primarily ASHI chapter members?

–
Dave Bush


MAB Member


"LIFE'S TOUGH, WEAR A HELMET"
3

Originally Posted By: mbailey
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Dave,


In answer to your questions the board makeup is intended to be members from the Iowa Association of Home Inspectors, which (as far as I know) is ASHI based. We will be trying to have portions of the bill re-written. Areas for concern are as you have stated in your message plus several other areas, to include the training requirements - which as the bill currently stands are open to the interpretation of the board.

--
Mark Bailey
Stonegate Property Inspections LLC
Ponca, NE

4

Originally Posted By: Lyle Dady
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After sending messages to every Representative who has an Email address I received several responses and phone calls.


The Sub Committee Chair for this bill called to let me know he would not be running the bill as it is.

Also received an Email from the Representative who introduced the bill informing me that it was dead for this year.

Looks like we have bought some time here in Iowa.

Lyle Dady
Calsue inspections

5

Originally Posted By: gbeaumont
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Hi Lyle,


I think your last comment is the most telling,


Do you know why the bill was cancelled was it just a time constraint, or other issues.


Now you have opened a dialoge with your reps you need to keep it open, is there anything that NACHI can do collectively to help them write a sensible law ??

–
Gerry Beaumont


NACHI Education Committee


e-mail : education@nachi.org


NACHI phone 484-429-5466


Inspection Depot Education
gbeaumont@inspectiondepot.com

"Education is a journey, not a destination"
6

Originally Posted By: ismetaniuk
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zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

–
Igor


Top To Bottom Inspections


Glen Spey, NY

7

Originally Posted By: Lyle Dady
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Gerry,


The Sub Committee Chair called me and we had a lengthy conversation.

He said that this bill was way too restrictive in the area of required experience and where it could come from. His said that other areas should be considered.

Some of his thoughts were Home Builders, General Contractors, Electricians, Professional and other Licensed Engineers, etc.

I pointed out that this bill had one specific home inspection organizations name on it and that it appeared they were in fact the sponsors.
He said that he had seen this in other bills where it was apparent that someone was trying to monopolize a specific area of business.

Several of the Representatives that responded to me indicated they wanted to stay in contact with me regarding this bill. Of course my answer was yes.

I am new to this process and will be looking to NACHI for all of help they will offer.

Lyle Dady

8

Originally Posted By: gbeaumont
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Hi Lyle,


you know most of us are new to looking at these issues, exept for those who had influence in the PA legislation. It sounds like common sense prevailed for once in Iowa, but I know that will not be the last of it. I cannot guess which organisations name was cropping up in relation to the proposed bill out there icon_lol.gif


As an organisation we need to be proposing sensible legislation to counter models that are being presented to legislators. Watch this space.

–
Gerry Beaumont


NACHI Education Committee


e-mail : education@nachi.org


NACHI phone 484-429-5466


Inspection Depot Education
gbeaumont@inspectiondepot.com

"Education is a journey, not a destination"
9

Originally Posted By: jrooff
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Hi all;


It's been very quite out here in Iowa when talking about HF162. No one seem to know why the bill was postponed. It's like go ask John, John says go ask Paul, and Paul says what you talkin bout?LOL
But seriously, I would like to know what if anything is heard or being done. I live in Iowa so it does make my spine quiver when all I see is ASHI's .ss( butt) all over this bill! Is NACHI on top of this ? I know that HICAG is not responding, I sent an E-mail 2 weeks ago and got nothing in responce yet.

Please can someone respond.

Thank you
James J. Rooff
Long time viewer and not first time caller. ![icon_wink.gif](upload://ssT9V5t45yjlgXqiFRXL04eXtqw.gif)

10

Originally Posted By: ecrofutt
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HICAG is primarily concerned with the State of New Jersey. They don’t really seem to have broadened their base to include other states much.


http://www.consumerprotection.ws/cp/index.html

IF I remember right the only name listed on the website (Lorraine Hutton) was heavily involved in fighting the ASHI New Jersey legislation. I "think" she is also in the home inspection industry in some fashion.

I wouldn't expect much help from them at this time.

--
Erby Crofutt
B4U Close Home Inspections
Georgetown, Kentucky
www.b4uclose.com

11

Originally Posted By: gbeaumont
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Hi James


I had a good look at the states web site and could not find out what thecurrent status of this bill is, so I have e-mailed House Rep Jeff Elgin who was the bills sponsor to see if he can clarify the issue.


I hope he responds but don't hold your breath.

Gerry

--
Gerry Beaumont
NACHI Education Committee
e-mail : education@nachi.org
NACHI phone 484-429-5466

Inspection Depot Education
gbeaumont@inspectiondepot.com

"Education is a journey, not a destination"

12

Originally Posted By: mbailey
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


All,


Since news that HF162 was put on hold communication has been attempted through numerous e-mails, letters via snail mail, and many phone calls to legislative members involved with the bill and their offices ? all have yielded no new information to date. Contact has also been made with other legislative members (that are not involved with the bill) - those communications consisted of being directed to speak to those directly involved with the bill. These attempts by myself and others over the last several months have all been met with silence or legislative run-around.

It is aggravating in regards to this lack of information simply due to the fact that when HF162 was still active in the legislation communication was quite good between legislators and those inquiring about the bill?the lack of communication only began after the bill was put on hold.

Those assisting in this effort must keep trying? it is a matter of persistence? as with any governmental activity

--
Mark Bailey
Stonegate Property Inspections LLC
Ponca, NE

13

Originally Posted By: gbeaumont
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.


Quote:
"Dear Gerry:
HF 162 was assigned to the House State Government Committee. The bill was then assigned to a sub-committee. The bill did not make it out of sub-committee before the bill funnel date and was not considered further. The bill can be looked at again this coming session. Sincerely, Jeff Elgin "


so now you know, lets keep an eye on this in the next few months, and see if we can get some input into this.

Regards

Gerry

--
Gerry Beaumont
NACHI Education Committee
e-mail : education@nachi.org
NACHI phone 484-429-5466

Inspection Depot Education
gbeaumont@inspectiondepot.com

"Education is a journey, not a destination"
14

Originally Posted By: dbowers
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Since the NHIE Test was developed by ASHI and was originally the ASHI Test, and since their Board of Directors are all ASHI Members other than the 2 public members - why take references to ASHI out the licensure bills unless you have another Test to replace the NHIE.

15

Originally Posted By: jrooff
This post was automatically imported from our archived forum.




16

Originally Posted By: dbowers
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Many guys in Iowa (in the Iowa Association of Home Inspectors) say there was no real public outcry for licensure; the legislature (being broke as many are) saw no great need for the bill; and although there was a little interest by the realtors - there was no real great push by them. So who started the push for licensure. We hear the HI’s themselves.


From conversations with some of the Iowa Inspectors that see no need for the licensure push - they say 1 main Des Moines Franchisee and another inspector over by the Quad Cities kept hammering away at the other guys until they had the others convinced if they didn't get licensed the Big Bad Realtors would get them or THE NEWBIE HI's would take over their business.

The reference in the proposed Bill to the ASHI Exam doesn't seen unreasonable since the new NHIE used to be ASHI's Test - so all they're really saying is that any version of the test is OK. If this was not OK, then everyone would have to take the NEW NHIE, which just channels more MONEY to a GROUP that WE REALLY Don't want to support. So personally I wouldn't have a problem with the reference to ASHI.

Oh by the way guess if the MAIN HI's behind the licensure PUSH in Iowa belong to a Large National Association - then guess which one.

Dan Bowers
Dan Bowers