A BILL to amend and reenact § 54.1-2105.1 of the Code of Virginia, relating to professions and occupations; regulation of real estate brokers, salespersons, and rental location agents; other powers and duties of the Real Estate Board; licensure; criminal history certification.
HB157 would amend the duties of the Virginia Real Estate Board in three main ways. First, it requires the Board to develop and post on its website a residential property disclosure statement form, along with a one-page acknowledgment form for buyers to sign confirming they were advised of the disclosures. Second, it directs the Board to notify licensed brokers about their existing duty to designate another broker to continue operations for up to 180 days if the broker dies or becomes disabled.
Third, the bill creates a new licensure process for initial applicants for real estate broker or salesperson licenses that includes criminal history certification. Applicants would have to certify whether they have any criminal history and prove they requested their own criminal history record. If an applicant says they have no criminal history, the Board would issue the license once the application is complete and the record request is shown; if later-recorded criminal history conflicts with that certification, the Board must immediately suspend the license and notify the applicant and supervising broker. The suspension would be exempt from the Administrative Process Act, with reversal only through a Board case decision.
The bill would expand the Real Estate Board’s administrative responsibilities and change the licensing process for new real estate brokers and salespersons in Virginia. It would add website-maintained disclosure forms, formalize broker succession notice requirements, and create a certification-and-verification system for criminal history as part of initial licensure. In practice, this would affect applicants for real estate broker and salesperson licenses, supervising brokers, and the Board’s enforcement and licensing procedures under Title 54.1 of the Code of Virginia.
There is limited recorded discussion or voting history available for HB157, and the bill was left in the House Committee on General Laws. Based on the text, the measure appears aimed at administrative clarity, consumer disclosure, and licensing integrity rather than major policy change. The absence of recorded votes or committee testimony makes it difficult to identify broad support or opposition, but the bill’s structure suggests a compliance-focused approach.
The most likely point of contention is the criminal history certification and immediate suspension provision. Applicants and licensees could view the requirement as burdensome or as creating due-process concerns because a suspension would take effect immediately and be exempt from the Administrative Process Act. Another possible issue is the requirement that applicants request and disclose their own criminal history record as a condition of licensure, which may raise concerns about timing, administrative cost, and fairness if records are delayed or incomplete. No specific opposition or support was recorded in the available materials.