HB 1552 extends and adjusts a fee on real estate broker and managing broker licenses in Washington. The bill creates a $10 fee on original licenses and renewals with expiration dates after October 1, including inactive licenses, and directs the revenue into a dedicated Washington real estate research account in the state treasury. The measure also updates the fee structure to account for inflation and sets expiration dates for the fee provisions.
The bill ties the fee revenue to the Washington Center for Real Estate Research, which is intended to provide research, education, and data for real estate licensees, consumers, service providers, public agencies, and communities. The center’s authorized work includes studies on affordable housing, urban and rural economics, economically isolated communities, market trends, consumer information, economic development, professional education, and recommendations for statutory changes related to real estate. The bill also allows the legislature, during the fiscal biennium, to transfer excess account balances to the state general fund and requires the center to operate through a memorandum of understanding with a higher education institution.
In practical terms, the bill amends Washington statutes governing real estate licensing fees and the real estate research account, creating a continuing funding stream for the research center. It affects real estate brokers, managing brokers, and inactive license holders by adding or continuing a fee obligation at issuance and renewal, while also establishing how those funds may be spent and when they may be moved to the general fund. The bill is structured as a temporary funding and policy measure with expiration dates on several sections.
The overall sentiment appears generally favorable, with strong majorities in both chambers and no recorded committee testimony in the provided materials. The House and Senate both passed the bill, though the Senate floor vote was somewhat narrower than the House vote, suggesting some limited concern or dissent. The lack of transcripts makes it difficult to identify detailed arguments, but the vote pattern indicates broad support for funding real estate research and related housing analysis.
The main point of contention is likely the added cost to licensees, especially because the fee applies to both active and inactive licenses and is adjusted for inflation. Some opposition may also stem from the use of licensing fees to support a research center rather than direct regulatory functions, or from the provision allowing excess funds to be transferred to the general fund. Supporters appear to view the fee as a modest, dedicated funding source for research on housing affordability and real estate market conditions.
HB 1552 amends Washington law governing real estate broker and managing broker licensing fees and the Washington real estate research account. It creates or extends a $10 fee on original licenses and renewals, including inactive licenses, deposits the revenue into a dedicated account, and authorizes expenditures only for purposes related to the Washington Center for Real Estate Research. The bill also allows the legislature to transfer excess account balances to the state general fund during the fiscal biennium and updates statutory language to reflect inflation adjustments and expiration dates.
The bill appears to have been received positively overall, with clear majority support in both the House and Senate. The House passed it by a wide margin, and the Senate also approved it, though with a somewhat larger minority of opposition. No committee discussion transcripts were provided, so the available record suggests general agreement on the value of funding real estate research, alongside some reservation about the fee increase.
The likely areas of disagreement are the added licensing cost and the use of those fees to support a research center rather than solely regulatory activities. Opponents may also object to applying the fee to inactive licenses and to the provision allowing excess funds to be transferred to the general fund. Supporters, by contrast, seem to emphasize the center’s role in affordable housing research, market analysis, and policy support for the real estate sector.