Bill > SB774

This bill makes several significant changes to real estate and appraiser regulations in California. It extends the sunset date for the Department of Real Estate and the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers from January 1, 2026 to January 1, 2030, providing continued oversight of real estate professionals. The bill enhances provisions for military service members and veterans seeking real estate licenses by requiring the department to inquire about military service in applications and create a more streamlined process for license recognition. It introduces new requirements for fingerprint-based criminal background checks for real estate license applicants and adds protections for licensees' email addresses by making them non-public records. The bill modifies the Consumer Recovery Account process, allowing the commissioner more flexibility in granting payments and suspending licenses based on the standard of proof in underlying judgments. Additionally, the bill requires the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers to conduct a comprehensive study on the feasibility of mandatory licensing for real estate appraisers, with a report due by December 31, 2028. The legislation also makes various technical and conforming changes to existing real estate laws, including removing gendered language and updating cross-references.

Budget and Finance, Business and Industry

https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billStatusClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260SB774