West Virginia House Bill HB2321

West Virginia 2025 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/12/25
• Refer: 2/12/25

Caption

Relating to authorizing the Real Estate Commission to promulgate a legislative rule relating to the application of waiver of initial licensing fees for certain individuals

Summary

House Bill 2321 authorizes the West Virginia Real Estate Commission to promulgate a legislative rule governing how certain individuals may apply for a waiver of initial licensing fees. The bill does not itself create a new licensing program or fee waiver; rather, it gives legal effect to an existing or proposed administrative rule filed by the Commission, identified as 174 CSR 06, under the authority of state law governing licensing and rulemaking. In practical terms, the measure is a rule-authorization bill. Its main function is to approve the Commission’s legislative rule so that the rule can take effect and be enforced. The underlying subject is the process for waiving first-time real estate licensing fees for qualifying applicants, which may affect new licensees and the administrative procedures used by the Commission.

Impact

HB2321 would amend West Virginia Code §64-9-1 to authorize the Real Estate Commission’s legislative rule on waiver of initial licensing fees for certain individuals. The bill’s effect is limited to validating the Commission’s rulemaking authority and allowing the rule to operate within state law; it does not directly change substantive licensing requirements in the statute itself. The affected parties are prospective real estate license applicants who may qualify for a fee waiver, as well as the Real Estate Commission, which would administer the rule.

Sentiment

The available record suggests little to no controversy around HB2321. There are no committee transcripts or recorded votes indicating opposition, and the bill appears to be a routine administrative rule authorization measure. The general sentiment is therefore best characterized as neutral to supportive, with the bill presented as a technical authorization rather than a policy dispute.

Contention

No specific points of contention are documented in the provided materials. Because the bill simply authorizes a rule concerning fee waivers for certain applicants, any disagreement would likely center on the scope of eligibility for the waiver, the administrative burden on the Commission, or the policy choice of reducing upfront licensing costs. However, the available context does not show any identified opponents or debated issues.