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HB170 • 2026

Real estate appraisers; ed. requirements for licensure, fair housing and appraisal bias course.

An Act to amend and reenact § 54.1-2013 of the Code of Virginia, relating to real estate appraisers; educational requirements for licensure; fair housing and appraisal bias course.

Education Housing
Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Askew
Last action
2026-04-06
Official status
Acts of Assembly Chapter
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

The official source material does not provide information on whether existing licensed appraisers will be affected by this new requirement or what happens if an applicant fails to complete the required course.

Real Estate Appraiser Education Requirements

This act changes Virginia's laws to require real estate appraisers seeking certain licenses to complete a fair housing and appraisal bias education course before getting their license.

What This Bill Does

  • Adds a requirement for new real estate appraisers to take an educational course on fair housing and appraisal bias.
  • Requires this course to cover the history of segregation, unequal treatment in housing, and current laws protecting against discrimination.
  • Ensures that the course is reviewed annually by the Fair Housing Board.

Who It Names or Affects

  • Real estate appraisers applying for certification or licensing in Virginia.

Terms To Know

Fair housing
Laws that protect people from discrimination when they are renting, buying, or selling a home, getting a mortgage loan, or looking for housing.
Appraisal bias
Unfair practices in real estate appraisals that can affect the value of homes based on factors like race or disability status.

Limits and Unknowns

  • The bill does not specify what happens if an applicant fails to complete the required course.
  • It is unclear how existing licensed appraisers will be affected by this new requirement.
  • The exact content and format of the educational courses are not detailed in the legislation.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HB170ASC1

2026-03-03 • Committee

General Laws and Technology Amendment

Plain English: The amendment changes the word 'audited' to 'reviewed' in a section of the bill.

  • Changes the term 'audited' to 'reviewed' in the text of the bill.
  • It is unclear what specific process or procedure this change affects, as the amendment does not provide additional context.
HB170AS1

2026-03-05 • Committee

General Laws and Technology Amendment

Plain English: The amendment changes the word 'audited' to 'reviewed' in a specific line of the bill.

  • Changes the text from 'audited' to 'reviewed'.
  • It is unclear what the exact impact or context of this change will be without additional information.
HB170EDOC

2026-03-10 • Senate

Senate Amendment

Plain English: The amendment changes the word 'audited' to 'reviewed' in a section of the bill.

  • Changes the term 'audited' to 'reviewed'.
  • It is unclear what specific process or context this change affects, as the surrounding text is not provided.

Bill History

  1. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 81 (effective 7/1/2026)

  2. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Approved by Governor-Chapter 81 (effective 7/1/2026)

  3. 2026-04-06 Governor

    Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0081)

  4. 2026-04-01 House

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB170)

  5. 2026-03-31 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  6. 2026-03-31 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  7. 2026-03-31 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  8. 2026-03-31 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  9. 2026-03-31 House

    Signed by Speaker

  10. 2026-03-31 House

    Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026

  11. 2026-03-31 Governor

    Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026

  12. 2026-03-30 Senate

    Signed by President

  13. 2026-03-30 House

    Enrolled

  14. 2026-03-30 House

    Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB170ER)

  15. 2026-03-11 House

    Senate amendment agreed to by House (66-Y 32-N 0-A)

  16. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Read third time

  17. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Read third time

  18. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Read third time

  19. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Engrossed by Senate as amended

  20. 2026-03-10 General Laws and Technology

    General Laws and Technology Amendment agreed to

  21. 2026-03-10 Senate

    Passed Senate with amendment (36-Y 3-N 1-A)

  22. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Read third time

  23. 2026-03-09 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  24. 2026-03-06 Senate

    Rules suspended

  25. 2026-03-06 Senate

    Passed by for the day

  26. 2026-03-06 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A)

  27. 2026-03-06 Senate

    Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)

  28. 2026-03-04 General Laws and Technology

    Reported from General Laws and Technology with amendment (14-Y 1-N)

  29. 2026-03-03 Senate

    Senate committee offered

  30. 2026-02-03 Senate

    Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading)

  31. 2026-02-03 General Laws and Technology

    Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology

  32. 2026-02-02 House

    Read third time and passed House (81-Y 18-N 0-A)

  33. 2026-01-30 House

    Moved from Uncontested Calendar to Regular Calendar

  34. 2026-01-30 House

    Read second time

  35. 2026-01-30 House

    committee substitute agreed to

  36. 2026-01-30 House

    Engrossed by House - committee substitute

  37. 2026-01-29 House

    Read first time

  38. 2026-01-28 General Laws

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB170)

  39. 2026-01-28 General Laws

    Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB170)

  40. 2026-01-27 General Laws

    Reported from General Laws with substitute (21-Y 0-N)

  41. 2026-01-27 General Laws

    Committee substitute printed 26105954D-H1

  42. 2026-01-22 Housing/Consumer Protection

    Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute (10-Y 0-N)

  43. 2026-01-22 Housing/Consumer Protection

    House subcommittee offered

  44. 2026-01-19 Housing/Consumer Protection

    Assigned HGL sub: Housing/Consumer Protection

  45. 2026-01-06 House

    Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26102831D

  46. 2026-01-06 General Laws

    Referred to Committee on General Laws

Official Summary Text

Real estate appraisers; educational requirements for licensure; fair housing and appraisal bias course.
Requires, in addition to successfully completing an examination, applicants for licensure as a certified residential real estate appraiser or a certified general real estate appraiser to also successfully complete a fair housing and appraisal bias education course administered or approved by the Real Estate Appraiser Board prior to licensure, the specifics of which are provided in the bill.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
An Act to amend and reenact §
54.1-2013
of the Code of Virginia, relating to real estate appraisers; educational requirements for licensure; fair housing and appraisal bias course.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §
54.1-2013
of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§
54.1-2013
. General powers of Real Estate Appraiser Board; regulations; educational requirements for licensure.
A.
The Board shall have all of the powers of a regulatory board under Chapter 2 (§
54.1-200
et seq.). The Board may do all things necessary and convenient for carrying into effect the provisions of this chapter, Chapter 20.2 (§
54.1-2020
et seq.), and all things required or expected of a state appraiser certifying and licensing agency under Title 11 of the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 (12 U.S.C. § 3331 et seq.). The Board shall promulgate necessary regulations.
The Board shall include in its regulations educational and experience requirements as conditions for licensure, provisions for the supervision of appraiser practices, provisions for the enforcement of standards of professional appraiser practice, and provisions for the disposition of referrals of improper appraiser conduct from any person or any federal agency or instrumentality. This paragraph shall not be construed to limit the powers and authority of the Board.
B.
The Board may set different education and experience requirements for licensed residential real estate appraisers, certified residential real estate appraisers, and certified general real estate appraisers. All applicants for licensure under this chapter shall meet applicable educational and experience requirements prior to licensure.
Applicants for licensure as a certified residential real estate appraiser or a certified general real estate appraiser shall successfully complete an examination administered or approved by the Board prior to licensure. The Board may set different examination requirements for certified residential real estate appraisers and certified general real estate appraisers. The Board may require that licensed residential real estate appraisers successfully complete an examination administered or approved by the Board prior to licensure or prior to the renewal of an initial license.
Applicants for licensure as a certified residential real estate appraiser, a certified general real estate appraiser, or a licensed residential real estate appraiser shall successfully complete a minimum of two hours of education on fair housing and appraisal bias administered or approved by the Board prior to licensure. Such training shall include instruction on (i) the legacy of segregation, unequal treatment, and the historic lack of access to opportunities in housing; (ii) unequal access to amenities and resources on the basis of race, disability, and other protected classes; (iii) federal, state, and local fair housing laws; and (iv) anti-bias practices. Any educational course on fair housing and appraisal bias administered or approved by the Board pursuant to this subsection shall be
reviewed
annually by the Fair Housing Board.
C.
All regulations established by the Board shall satisfy any minimum criteria that are necessary in order that the federal financial institution's regulatory agencies recognize and accept licenses for licensed residential real estate appraisers, certified residential real estate appraisers, certified general real estate appraisers, and appraisal management companies issued by the Board.