Senate Engrossed

 

 

 

 

State of Arizona

Senate

Fiftieth Legislature

First Regular Session

2011

 

 

SENATE BILL 1180

 

 

 

AN ACT

 

amending sections 32‑3625, 32‑3631 and 32-3637, Arizona Revised Statutes; relating to the state board of appraisal.

 

 

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

 



Be it enacted by the Legislature of the State of Arizona:

Section 1.  Section 32-3625, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE32-3625.  Continuing education

A.  As a prerequisite to renewal of a license or certificate, a state licensed or state certified appraiser shall present evidence satisfactory to the board of having met the continuing education requirements of either subsection B or C.

B.  The basic continuing education requirement for renewal of a license or certificate is the completion by the applicant, during the immediately preceding term of the license or certificate, of courses or seminars which that are approved by the board.

C.  An applicant for relicensing or recertification may satisfy all or part of the continuing education requirements by presenting evidence of the following, which shall be approved by the board:

1.  Completion of an education program of study determined by the board to be equivalent, for continuing education purposes, to courses approved by the board pursuant to subsection B.

2.  Participation other than as a student in educational processes and programs which that are approved by the board and which that relate to appropriate appraisal theory, practices or techniques, including teaching, program development and preparation of textbooks, monographs, articles and other instructional materials, not to exceed fifty per cent of an applicant's continuing education requirements and not for the same course in consecutive renewal periods.

D.  The board shall adopt rules to assure that persons renewing their licenses or certificates as state licensed or state certified appraisers follow practices and techniques which that provide a high degree of service and protection to those members of the public with whom they deal in the professional relationship under the authority of the license or certificate. The rules shall include the following:

1.  Policies and procedures for obtaining board approval of courses and instruction pursuant to subsection B.

2.  Standards, policies and procedures to be applied by the board in evaluating an applicant's claims of equivalency in accordance with subsection C.

3.  Standards, monitoring methods and systems for recording attendance to be employed by course sponsors as a prerequisite to board approval of courses for credit.

E.  In adopting rules pursuant to subsection D, paragraph 1, the board shall give consideration to courses of instruction, seminars and other appropriate appraisal educational courses or programs previously or hereafter developed by or under the auspices of professional appraisal organizations and utilized by those associations for purposes of designation, or indicating compliance with the continuing education requirements of such organizations. No person who offers these courses may discriminate in the opportunity to participate in these courses on the basis of membership or nonmembership in an appraisal organization.

F.  No amendment or repeal of a rule adopted by the board pursuant to this section may operate to deprive a state licensed or state certified appraiser of credit toward renewal of a license or certificate for any course of instruction either completed by the applicant or enrolled in by the applicant before the amendment or repeal of the rule which that would have qualified for continuing education credit under the rule as it existed before the repeal or amendment.

G.  A license or certificate as a state licensed or state certified appraiser that has been revoked suspended as a result of disciplinary action by the board shall not be reinstated unless the applicant presents evidence of completion of the continuing education required by this chapter.  This requirement of evidence of continuing education shall not be imposed on an applicant for reinstatement who has been required to successfully complete the examination for state licensed or state certified appraiser as a condition of reinstatement of a license or certificate. END_STATUTE

Sec. 2.  Section 32-3631, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE32-3631.  Disciplinary proceedings

A.  The rights of an applicant or holder under a license or certificate as a state licensed or state certified appraiser may be revoked or suspended or the holder of the license or certificate may otherwise be disciplined in accordance with this chapter on any of the grounds set forth in this section. The board may investigate the actions of a state licensed or state certified appraiser and may revoke or suspend the rights of a license or certificate holder or otherwise discipline a state licensed or state certified appraiser for any of the following acts or omissions:

1.  Procuring or attempting to procure a license or certificate pursuant to this chapter by knowingly making a false statement, submitting false information, refusing to provide complete information in response to a question in an application for a license or certificate or committing any form of fraud or misrepresentation.

2.  Failing to meet the minimum qualifications established by this chapter.

3.  Paying or offering to pay money or other considerations other than as provided by this chapter to any member or employee of the board to procure a license or certificate under this chapter.

4.  A conviction, including a conviction based on a plea of guilty, of a crime which that is substantially related to the qualifications, functions and duties of a person developing appraisals and communicating appraisals to others, or a conviction for any felony or any crime involving moral turpitude.

5.  An act or omission involving dishonesty, fraud or misrepresentation with the intent to substantially benefit the license or certificate holder or another person or with the intent to substantially injure another person.

6.  Violation of any of the standards of the development or communication of appraisals as provided in this chapter.

7.  Negligence or incompetence in developing an appraisal, in preparing an appraisal report or in communicating an appraisal.

8.   Wilfully disregarding or violating any of the provisions of this chapter or the rules of the board for the administration and enforcement of this chapter.

9.  Accepting an appraisal assignment if the employment itself is contingent on the appraiser reporting a predetermined estimate, analysis or opinion or if the fee to be paid is contingent on the opinion, conclusion or value reached or on the consequences resulting from the appraisal assignment.

10.  Violating the confidential nature of any records to which the appraiser gains access through employment or engagement as an appraiser.

11.  Entry of a final civil judgment against the person on grounds of fraud, misrepresentation or deceit in the making of any appraisal.

B.  In a disciplinary proceeding based on a civil judgment, the state licensed or state certified appraiser shall be afforded an opportunity to present matters in mitigation and extenuation.

C.  The board may issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses and the production of books, records, documents and other evidence necessary and relevant to an investigation or hearing.

D.  The lapsing or suspension of a license or certificate by operation of law or by order or decision of the board or a court of law, or the voluntary surrender of a license by a license or certificate holder, shall not deprive the board of jurisdiction to do any of the following:

1.  Proceed with any investigation of or action or disciplinary proceeding against the license or certificate holder.

2.  Render a decision suspending or revoking the license or certificate or denying the renewal or right of renewal of the license or certificate.END_STATUTE

Sec. 3.  Section 32-3637, Arizona Revised Statutes, is amended to read:

START_STATUTE32-3637.  Retention of records; definition

A.  A state licensed or state certified appraiser shall retain a work file for at least five years after preparation of the work file or at least two years after final disposition of any judicial proceeding in which the appraiser provided testimony related to the work file, whichever period of time is greater.

B.  A state licensed or state certified appraiser shall do either of the following:

1.  Have custody of the appraiser's work file.

2.  Make appropriate work file retention, access and retrieval arrangements with the party having custody of the work file.

C.  The board may inspect all records required to be maintained under this chapter by the state licensed or state certified appraiser on reasonable notice to the appraiser.

D.  For the purposes of this section, "work file" includes documentation that is necessary to support an appraiser's analyses, opinions and conclusions and that demonstrates compliance with the uniform standards of professional appraisal practice. END_STATUTE