Health Occupations - Licensed Psychologists - Prescriptive Authority
Summary
HB1021 amends Maryland’s real estate appraiser licensing and certification statutes to bar the State Commission of Real Estate Appraisers, Appraisal Management Companies, and Home Inspectors from requiring an applicant to hold a bachelor’s degree or higher as a condition of licensure or certification. The bill applies to both the real estate appraisal license and the residential or general real estate appraisal certificates, while leaving in place the existing requirements for age, good character and reputation, federal qualification standards, supervised experience hours, approved coursework, and passage of the applicable examination.
The measure is framed as a qualification-access bill rather than a broad overhaul of appraiser regulation. It preserves the Commission’s authority to approve courses, monitor approved education, adopt additional rules needed to comply with federal law, and require other regulatory prerequisites that do not involve a bachelor’s degree. The act takes effect October 1, 2025.
Impact
The bill directly amends Sections 16-302 and 16-503 of the Business Occupations and Professions Article, removing any authority for the Commission to impose a four-year college degree requirement for appraiser licensure or residential/general certification. In practical terms, it opens the profession to applicants who meet experience, education, and examination standards without a bachelor’s degree, which may broaden the applicant pool and reduce barriers to entry for trainees and working professionals seeking advancement in appraisal careers.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests strong bipartisan support and little opposition. The House passed the bill 134-1, and the Senate later passed it unanimously 46-0, indicating broad agreement that degree requirements should not be used as an additional barrier for appraiser credentialing. No committee transcript was provided, and there is no indication of organized controversy in the available record.
Contention
The main point of contention, to the extent one existed, is the policy choice to eliminate a bachelor’s degree requirement for appraisers. Supporters likely viewed the change as improving access to the profession and aligning licensure with experience-based competency, while any potential critics would have been concerned about maintaining educational rigor or professional standards. The bill resolves that issue by keeping all other qualification and examination requirements intact and by preserving the Commission’s ability to adopt additional rules needed to satisfy federal standards.